Akufo-Addo to address the nation on $3b IMF deal amid Free SHS
President Akufo-Addo, May 28, 2023, at 8:00 pm, will address the nation for the 29th time since the coronavirus outbreak. He is expected to comment on whether the Free SHS policy will be reviewed amid the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) $3 billion bailout of the country.
In a post sighted by AcademicWeek, a government official said Nana Addo will discuss the government’s actions following the World Health Organization’s declaration that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
The President will discuss the government’s actions following the World Health Organization’s declaration that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency. Additionally, there will be an update on the country’s IMF deal,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education (MoE), Kwasi Kwarteng says the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $3 billion programme will not trigger a review of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
Speaking in a discussion monitored by AcademicWeek.com, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng said the government has no intention to review the flagship programme amid the Monetary Fund’s deal.
“On the subject of whether the Free SHS is going to be reviewed or not, such decisions are policy decisions made by either the President or Education Minister, the briefing I have does not point that we are going to have a review,” he said.
The Ministry of Education spokesperson’s clarification comes after the Dean of Business School of the University of Cape Coast, Professor John Gatsi following a comment by the International Fund said the SHS policy will be reviewed.
In an interview monitored by AcademicWeek, Prof Gatsi said amid conditionalities of the $3 billion grant to the country, the flagship Free SHS programme introduced in 2017 would be reviewed and made more targeted.
“Indeed, they have been told what to do about the free SHS, to review it and to make it meet the needs of the people, that will be done, definitely, there will be a review of the programme to make it more efficient and more accessible to all the people of Ghana,” he said.
John Gati’s prediction comes after the United-States-based financial agency In a report said “The flagship Free Senior High School, which covers the full cost of secondary education, has helped increase enrolment but is poorly targeted.”
