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Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, has responded to critiques leveled against the government’s flagship initiative, Free Senior High School (FSHS).
Speaking to the public on the status of education, Dr. Adutwum refuted assertions that the policy has damaged the educational system by pointing to notable advancements in key fields.
“We hear people saying that ‘the Free SHS has diminished education outcomes’ and sometimes when I hear that I ask ‘What kind of planet do they live on?’ How has Free SHS destroyed the educational system?” he quizzed.
He argued that extending educational opportunities to poor students should not be viewed negatively.
“Now that the poor gets the opportunity to go, everything is bad because the poor people are in the room. We need to bring everybody on board, let’s look at the data and judge for ourselves,” he said.
Dr. Adutwum went on to present strong statistical evidence supporting the benefits of the Free SHS program.
He pointed out that just 45.2% of students in English Language received a credit score in 2015. This percentage increased to 73.11% by 2023, when pupils received grades ranging from A1 to C6.
Similar gains were observed in other foundational areas.
Dr. Adutwum emphasized that no subject’s pass percentage has dropped below 50% since Free SHS students started graduating in 2020.
“In 2015, only 28.7% passed in Integrated Science, now it is 66.82%. And look, Mathematics, it was 32.4% now it is 62.23%. And if you look at the trend, from 2020, since the Free SHS students began to graduate, there is not a single year where any subject has been below 50%,” he stated.
The Minister of Education then commended the commitment of Ghana’s headmasters and teachers, recognizing their hard work and tenacity, particularly notwithstanding the difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 epidemic.
I would want to express my gratitude to Ghanaian headmasters and teachers for their perseverance and hard effort during COVID-19. He said, “They went back to work hard, and their students did well.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
