General News of Monday, 18 September 2017

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Free SHS means a lot to many – ASIG

President Nana Akufo-Addo on September 12 launched the Free SHS policy in Accra President Nana Akufo-Addo on September 12 launched the Free SHS policy in Accra

School heads have been asked to show loyalty and love for the nation by going the extra mile to make sure that the free senior high school (SHS) policy becomes a huge success.

Advocates for Social Intervention Ghana (ASIG), an NGO, spearheading a campaign for social justice, said the policy “means a lot for many a Ghanaian” and could not fail.

It reminded the SHS headmasters and headmistresses that the people would not forgive anybody, out there to undermine or sabotage the policy.

This was contained in a press statement, it issued and signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Arthur, in Kumasi.

The NGO called for the Education Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to keep close watch on how things were done in the schools and to act firmly to punish those found to have flouted the guidelines.

They should properly supervise the distribution of all materials meant for students – to make sure that nobody was denied what they are supposed to receive free of charge.

ASIG expressed disgust at the way some people trading in students’ mattresses, metal and chop boxes, were taking undue advantage of the “free SHS” to cheat and make abnormal profit.

The prices of these items had more than tripled, something it, labelled as “most unfair and completely unacceptable”.

It therefore suggested that lockers were provided in students’ dormitories “to save parents from any heartless traders”.

The NGO applauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the bold decision to implement the policy and said by this he had established himself as one of the great leaders in Africa.

What was left was for the people to work together to block revenue leakages and to make corruption unattractive to ensure that there was adequate money to sustain the policy, it added.