Free SHS good idea but rushed – Kojo Bonsu

A flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kojo Bonsu has hailed the flagship Free SHS education policy of the ruling government.

However, he was emphatic that the policy was rushed hence the challenges bedeviling it now.

The Double Track System is similar to the semester mode of learning applicable in the universities at the SHS level. With this system, each track will be in school for specific days for each semester and go on vacation and come back for the second semester.

While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice versa. The objectives of the Double-track School Calendar are to create room to accommodate increase in enrolment, reduce class sizes, increase contact hours and to increase the number of holidays.

Speaking to host of Morning Starr Francis Abban on Thursday, 4 October 2018, the former mayor of Kumasi noted the Double Track System which has been rolled out by government to accommodate the huge number of students will compound issues.

“Free SHS is a good idea,” Mr. Bonsu stated.

He added: “But they could have taken their time to implement it. They were in a rush to implement it.

“We’re doing the shift system now and it will create a lot of problems for us. A lot of students are home and teenage pregnancy will start fusing in. National consultation will have been ideal. We’ll look at it in a very positive way.”

Mr. Bonsu’s other contender and frontrunner in the race John Mahama has described the Double Track system as senseless.

“I believe that if Ghanaians come together we can come out with a workable timetable and schedule for implementing free SHS, because the double track system is not understandable. We just finished vacation, children have been at home for almost three months, it’s time to go to school and you say they should stay back at home for another forty-one days and let their friends go so they can also go after that time. It doesn’t make sense and that is because our friends don’t listen to advice,” Mahama noted at Cape Coast where he is currently campaigning for the slot to lead the NDC in the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bonsu has promised to turn the economy around when he wins the NDC race and eventually becomes president.

“A lot is wrong with the economy. The depreciation of the Cedi against the Dollar is not good. The promises were too much and because they can’t fulfill them it has created economic problems,” Mr. Bonsu noted.

The NDC will be going to congress in December to elect its flagbearer for Election 2020.