‘The free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought’ – National Council of PTA

The Western regional Chairman of the National Council of Parents Teachers Association, Daniel Vroom-Laryea, has lamented that “the free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought.”

He says the value of items parents need to acquire for their wards before sending them to school is becoming a burden for many who cannot afford.

Speaking with Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, the host of Connect FM’s Omanbapamorning show Monday, January 15, 2023, he bemoaned government’s reluctance in allowing parents to assist the schools despite the glaring challenges many of them are facing.
His comments come on the back of many beneficiaries of the Free SHS who have not reported to school yet since reopening almost 2 weeks now.

He noted there are many issues hampering the policy which have not come to bear.

“The re-opening time of the schools was not favourable for both parents and the students. Cocoa farmers in the rural areas are complaining that they had little yield in the year and so they don’t have the money to take their children to school. They must fill their chop boxes, some parents are even renting for their children to be in school, they must buy a lot of things for them to be in school. So all those who have not reported are due to financial issues. The free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought. There are more hidden issues to the free senior high school than we have all been made to believe,” he indicated.

He added that the decision not to allow parents to offer any assistance to the schools would be a bane on the policy considering the challenges many of them have been subjected to as a result of lack of support.

“Parents are now being prevented from helping the schools, but we must know that free SHS is meaningless without the support of parents. We even recorded over 21 pregnancies in one of the senior high schools last year because there was no wall on the school, and the students were being sneaked out. We are not being made to help, the government has stopped PTA from doing everything in the schools and that is a problem,” he added.

The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Director of the Ghana Education Service, Sally Nelly Coleman had revealed that over 137,000 fresh students placed in the 2023 Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) into Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools across the country, have refused to show up for admissions in their various allocations.

The Ghana Education Service in the latter part of 2023 released the computer placement list for fresh students who were to be admitted into the various senior high schools in the country. It however appears many of the students are still not ready for admission.

“About 590,000 were placed in the various schools nationwide, so far, 453,000 have reported for admissions. So about 137,000 are still home, they have failed to report to their various schools for admissions. We are pleading with parents to go for the admissions,” she told Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, on Connect FM’sOmanbapamorning show