The Minority in Parliament has expressed disappointment over the perceived lack of extensive stakeholder consultation on the impending Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill, slated for Cabinet debate this week.
The bill, aimed at providing legal support for free and compulsory education at the senior high school level, has been drafted by the Ministry of Education (MoE) without adequate input from relevant stakeholders, according to the Minority.
Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum announced that the bill would also propose the separation of junior high school from basic school and integrate it into secondary school, extending secondary education to six years. Additionally, the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) would no longer be a prerequisite for secondary school admission, instead serving solely for school selection purposes.
However, Education think tank Africa Education Watch has not been consulted on the bill, raising concerns about the inclusivity and comprehensiveness of the drafting process.
Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak, emphasized the importance of engaging all relevant parties to ensure the bill addresses the needs and concerns of all stakeholders in the education sector.
“It is unfortunate that such a bill has not been subjected to rigorous stakeholder consultation and inputs. I think that is most unfortunate even as we wait to see the bill and examine its content in full so that we can see whether it meets the requirement that we all expected or not,” Dr. Apaak said in an interview with Citi FM.
