Free SHS Must Be Sustained; We Have No Choice – Kwesi Pratt
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says the free SHS policy by President Nana Akufo-Addo must be sustained.
According to him, Ghana has no choice but to continue and sustain the free SHS programme stressing it is a constitutional requirement.
“We have to; it’s a constitutional provision. We have no choice. We have to find the resources,” Kwesi Pratt said this on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ when asked by host Kwami Sefa Kayi if free SHS is sustainable.
He, however, pointed out some challenges with the programme which, to him, must be addressed.
To him, government must not solely rely on the country’s oil to fund the project because the oil will not help in the future.
“The whole world is moving towards electric cars . . . If you are thinking about free SHS over a long period of time forever and so on, oil and gas is not an alternative. Yes, for now, it will help us but 10 years later, it won’t help us. So, oil and gas is also not an alternative,” he stated.
He further advised the government to utilize the resources in the country well so that the free SHS will not cease because it is a good initiative.
“So, we should really focus on that second objective of the independence movement. If we don’t watch it carefully, we cannot sustain free Senior High School. We cannot sustain. Unless we can take control of our resources, exploit and manage those resources for our own benefits, that’s the only way. There is no other way.”
