Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has denounced efforts by certain matrons and teachers to obstruct the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.
Initiated in 2017, the Free SHS policy provides public secondary education at no cost to all Ghanaian students. With an investment of GH¢12.88 billion to date, it has benefited more than 2.5 million students.
Although the policy has seen significant success, it contends with challenges like insufficient infrastructure causing overcrowding and occasional food shortages.
At a grand durbar marking the conclusion of the Ohum-Kan festival in Kyebi on Saturday, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, voiced his concerns about the attempts to undermine the policy.
“We all know how our President [Akufo-Addo] was determined to let every child attend school, ensuring that money does not become a barrier preventing any child from accessing secondary education. Hence, the introduction of the Free SHS policy, which is one of the greatest policies in the world,” he stated.
He added, “But having made education free for our children, giving them free food even PTA free. Why should the teacher or the matron steal the food meant for the children and then bring cameramen to lament to the whole world that the students are not being fed well? Some even go to the extent of stealing the foodstuffs belonging to physically challenged students. This means their interest is to sabotage and undermine the policy.”
Okyenhene described the phenomenon as worrying. “This is something I am worried about because it happened right in a school at Kyebi, where foodstuffs and provisions belonging to the hearing-impaired students were stolen. I want to let you know that if you are a teacher or anyone in charge of supplying food for our children and you decide to steal the food, it means you are not only undermining the policy but also retarding the development of the country.”