Educationist Kwasi Vandyke has called on the government to consider involving private senior high schools in the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme as part of efforts to address challenges with infrastructure and school placement.
According to him, allowing selected private schools to participate in the programme would create additional opportunities for students who are unable to secure placement in public senior high schools while helping to ease pressure on existing facilities.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s EBAANOSEN, hosted by Ohene Kinnah, Mr. Vandyke said there is nothing wrong with government partnering private schools under the Free SHS programme, describing the policy as a positive intervention that has significantly expanded access to secondary education.
He explained that the introduction of the double-track system under the former Akufo-Addo administration was largely necessitated by inadequate infrastructure and the growing number of students seeking admission into senior high schools.
Although the system helped address some of the challenges, Mr. Vandyke believes government must continue exploring additional measures to make the education system more effective and sustainable.
He proposed that students placed in participating private schools through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System should have their tuition fees covered under the Free SHS policy, while parents or guardians who opt for boarding should be responsible for the associated boarding fees.
He argued that such an arrangement could help reduce congestion in public schools and provide placement opportunities for more students.
Mr. Vandyke, however, acknowledged that the proposal could raise concerns about fairness, particularly if students placed in private schools are required to pay costs that their counterparts in public schools do not incur.
He therefore stressed the need for government to develop a fair system that ensures no student is disadvantaged simply because they have been placed in a private school.
Mr. Vandyke maintained that greater collaboration between government and private schools could provide a practical solution to some of the challenges confronting the education sector, adding that the ultimate objective should be to ensure equitable access to quality secondary education for all students.
By: Ernest Kumi
Discussion about this post