Aspiring NPP flagbearer and former Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has questioned the government’s decision to extend the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to private schools.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, September 16, Dr Adutwum said, “I don’t understand the logic. The issue is not about lack of space in schools generally, but lack of space in the most desirable schools. So if you don’t get this right, you will prescribe the wrong solution. I don’t think private schools are the answer to the double-track system.”
He said that parents in Ghana have strong preferences for Category A schools, and unless private schools are able to match those standards, many parents will reject them.
“Parents have a right to select the schools they want, and everybody wants Category A. If you don’t have Category A private schools, parents are going to have nothing to do with it,” he said.
The former Education Minister explained that the double-track system was introduced not because there were no empty classrooms in other schools, but because of the pressure on top-performing schools like PRESEC and Wesley Girls.
According to him, the solution lies in raising the standard of new and existing schools to Category A status.
He gave examples of how some newly built schools have improved through affiliations with high-performing schools.
“At Bosomtwe, because of its leadership affiliation with Wesley Girls, high-performing students are already choosing it within just four years. That is how to reduce the pressure on PRESEC and other top schools, and that will make it easier to eliminate double track,” he explained.
On the current management of the Free SHS policy, Dr Adutwum said his legacy in some areas was being maintained.
“In some areas, they are keeping the legacy intact. In others, I’m not seeing progression. But at least whatever we left is being kept, like STEM education. However, when you look at their promise to eliminate double track within 120 days, it has not been achieved,” he noted.
He pointed out that while about 65 to 70% of schools are now off double track, some high-demand schools remain, which is why parents still feel the impact. He rejected claims that the system had harmed education, citing improved WAEC results as proof.
Dr Adutwum also spoke about challenges headmasters faced under the system, saying they were often unable to take proper breaks as they juggled between tracks. He cited that the previous government’s failure to communicate effectively about the policy created public confusion.
Touching on food supply for students, he observed that the government had reverted to the system he left behind.
“They tried giving 100% of the money to headmasters to buy food, but within four or five months, they reversed themselves because the children were not being fed well. They’ve gone back to using buffer stock and commodity exchange, which is exactly what we were doing,” he said.
When asked what he would change about the policy if given the chance, Dr Adutwum said his main priority would be to introduce gifted and talented education.
“About 6 to 10% of our children are exceptionally gifted. If we don’t create opportunities for them, their God-given creativity will disappear. We must ensure our best minds have the chance to blossom here in Ghana,” he said.