Government must “hasten slowly” with Free SHS bill, says GNAPS

The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has urged the government to hasten slowly with the proposed Free Senior High School (SHS) bill to allow for broader consultation.

The bill which is expected to be laid before Parliament aims to codify the Free SHS policy into law and ensure its implementation by all successive governments.

In a statement on Monday (8 July), GNAPS said its exclusion from consultation on the critical bill undermines the collaborative spirit necessary for effective educational reforms.

“The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has noted with grave concern pronouncements about a purported Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill which is intended to be laid before Parliament. GNAPS advises Government to hasten slowly on this bill, and give sufficient time for stakeholder consultations,” GNAPS said.

“GNAPS is worried because characteristic of how important decisions on education are handled in this country, private schools, which account for 49% of educational establishments and 33% of pre-tertiary enrolments in Ghana, have been side-lined in deliberations on the bill. The exclusion of GNAPS, a major stakeholder, from consultations on this critical Bill undermines the collaborative spirit necessary for effective educational reforms.”

“Before the proposed Bill is sent to Parliament, GNAPS requests that the Minister of Education convenes a series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including GNAPS, and conducts thorough assessments to understand the potential implications of cancelling BECE and extending SHS to six years. This will ensure that potential challenges to implementation of the Bill are identified and addressed,” the statement added.

Read the full statement below:

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