Adutwum has lost moral right to defend FSHS after enrolling ward in private school - MP

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak, has asked Education Minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum to respond to media reports that he has enrolled his ward in a private secondary school when other Ghanaians are benefiting from the free secondary school policy.

The Daily Post has alleged that Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has enrolled his son in a private second-cycle institution.

The paper claimed that the Minister’s son is enrolled in the plush International Community School situated at Pakyi, near Kumasi.

Reacting to this, Dr. Apaak said he finds it strange that the Minister who prides himself as mana to be running an efficient education sector in Ghana, has enrolled his son in a private school.

Dr. Apaak, who is the MP for Builsa South opined that Dr. Adutwum’s choice of a private school over a public school system that can boast of schools such as Achimota, PRESEC, Prempeh College, among others reflects the Minister’s obvious lack of confidence in the second cycle education he is spearheading for the Ghanaian youth.

The legislator in a statement said the Minister for Education, Dr. Adutwum must tell Ghanaians why he has enrolled his ward into a Private Secondary school rather than a public secondary school in the era of fSHS.

To him, this suggests that the Minister does not have faith in the policy and lacks the moral right to champion the policy.

He reiterated that the minister by his action has affirmed that the policy is bedeviled with challenges of overcrowding, lack of funds to manage the policy.

"His decision to enrol his ward into a private rather than a public SHS suggests that he has no faith in the fSHS he superintendents over. If confirmed, such an action will be a betrayal and a confirmation of the belief that the challenges associated with the implementation of fSHS:

a) Inadequate space and, b) Overburdened teachers and non-teaching staff, c) Inadequate and unwholesome food, d) Erratic and haphazard academic calendar, f) Double track system and g) Culture of silence; have combined to adversely affect the quality of teaching and learning in our public secondary schools.

The Minister has lost the moral right to champion a programme he doesn’t have faith in and ought to do the needful by stepping aside,” he added.