'I’ve never kicked against Free SHS' - UCC Pro Vice-Chancellor

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor George Kwaku Toku Oduro, has denied claims that he opposed the government’s fee-free education policy – Free SHS.

Nonetheless, he explained in an interview with Starr News’ Central region correspondent Kwaku Baa-Acheamfour, that he would not support a free education policy which is inept in quality.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor, in March this year, predicted disaster for the free Senior High School policy if government did not take steps to ensure quality.

The comment elicited an angry reaction from Education Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh who said the criticism by the Pro- Vice-Chancellor was without basis.

He found it hypocritical that the Pro Vice-Chancellor would criticize a policy which was in practice some 50 years back and had benefited many Ghanaians.

Reacting to the minister’s comment, the pro Vice-Chancellor advised government to welcome suggestions from stakeholders of education and not take such contributions as a vote against the policy.

“I have never kicked against free SHS [but] I have always kicked against free education that is not indexed with quality,” he told Baa-Acheamfour.

Prof K.T Oduro advised the Ministry of Education to hold a stakeholders’ forum to critically assess and implement the free SHS Policy.

He suggested that the free SHS policy should be seen as a national challenge devoid of any political interference.