The Executive Director for Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare has bemoaned what he refers to as inconsistencies in the communication strategies for the government’s flagship program, the Free Senior High School Policy.
His comments come after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, indicated that a review of the policy remains a possibility despite stating emphatically that the policy would not be reviewed.
In an interview with Citi News, Kofi Asare said the government must harmonize its position on the policy.
“There is too much inconsistency in communicating on a very important flagship programme. Last week, the Finance Minister was in Parliament and said we have spent GH¢5.3 billion on free Senior High School between 2017 and the end of 2021. Education Minister had said we have spent almost GH¢7 billion.”
“There are so many inconsistencies that are not helping the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Finance Ministry. We must harmonise government position on such important policies like the free SHS programme.”
Amid these inconsistencies, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Clement Apaak, has called for an audit into the government’s expenditure on the free Senior High School programme.
Mr. Apaak argues that the conflicting figures on the amount of money spent on the free SHS policy suggest that the government may have diverted some funds allocated for the programme.
He believes a forensic audit into the expenditure on the free SHS programme will settle the confusion about the government’s expenditure on the programme.
“Clearly, something is not right, and to think that he [Finance Minister] announced a figure that is far below what he had reported on different occasions in Parliament clearly confirms my point that there is a need for a forensic audit regarding the financing of the Free Senior High School.”
