Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr Clement Apaak
Education Minister’s claim that Ghana’s free senior high school is the best managed in the world has provoked a response from Dr. Clement Apaak, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee.
The legislator is demanding the criteria by which the minister such pronouncement.
Education Minister Dr Yaw Adutwum has opined that the Senior High School sector in the country is the best managed in the world.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo must be commended for how the Free SHS program has been operated so far.
“If you talk about Senor High School education, Ghana has managed its senior high schools better than what’s being done in other parts of the world.”
“Nana Addo deserves our commendation for how he’s managed free SHS. The headmasters are in schools and we’ve provided what they need to run the schools.”
Defending the double-track system, he noted “double track is supposed to make sure there’s no congestion so if any tells you we did double track and there’s congestion, how’s that possible?”
But reacting to this, Dr. Apaak said the education sector is faced with serious challenges and yet, the minister has described it as the best on the world.
According to him, the academic calendar is not efficient describing it as erratic and haphazard one.
Students he lamented are being fed with expired, unwholesome and insufficient food.
He said all these issues are facing us but people have been silenced not to complain about them.
“By what standard? Erratic and haphazard academic calendar; expired, unwholesome and insufficient food; culture of silence; overburdened teachers; inadequate space and furniture, denote best managed in the world? Admit challenges and seek help to fix them!”
The MP for Builsa South wants the MP to tell Ghanaians the standard; what variables were used, and which international institution or organization evaluated our SHS system, concluding that it was the best managed in the world? Ghanaians expect their leaders to take their plight seriously and to work to address them. Leaders making outrageous claims ought to be put to strict proof.
Students, teachers, parents and heads of SHS know this claim is a figment of the imagination of the Minister and his government,” he added.