The Western Regional Chairman of the National Council of Parents Teachers Association, Mr Daniel Vroom-Laryea, has bemoaned how the free SHS policy is taking its shield on spending more than anything.

He said, “the free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought.”

He points out that the value of things contained in the prospect and other things the parents ought to purchase for their children before taking them to their respective schools is becoming a serious predicament as many cannot afford the cost involved.

He lamented the government’s unwillingness to give parents the chance to assist the schools despite the ripping challenges the schools are experiencing.

He made these comments on the backdrop of many beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy who have not reported to school since reopening almost 2 weeks ago.

He pointed out numerous issues are hindering the policy which ought to be reviewed.

The reopening time of the schools was not favorable for both parents and students. Cocoa farmers in the rural areas are complaining that they had little yield in the year and so they don’t have the money to take their children to school. They must fill their chop boxes, some parents are even renting for their children to be in school, they must buy a lot of things for them to be in school. So all those who have not reported are due to financial issues. The free SHS is becoming more expensive than we thought. There are more hidden issues to the free senior high school than we have all been made to believe,” he indicated.

He reiterated that the decision to hold back parents from offering any assistance to the schools would be a ditch on the policy considering the circumstances surrounding the policy.

“Parents are now being prevented from helping the schools, but we must know that free SHS is meaningless without the support of parents. We even recorded over 21 pregnancies in one of the senior high schools last year because there was no wall on the school, and the students were being sneaked out. We are not being made to help, the government has stopped PTA from doing everything in the schools and that is a problem,” he added.

The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Director of the Ghana Education Service, Sally Nelly Coleman had disclosed that over 137,000 fresh students placed in the 2023 Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) into Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools across the country, have refused to go for their admissions in their various schools.

The Ghana Education Service in the latter part of 2023 released the computer placement list for fresh students who were to be admitted into the various senior high schools in the country. It however appears many of the students are still not ready for admission.

“About 590,000 were placed in the various schools nationwide, so far, 453,000 have reported for admissions. So about 137,000 are still home, they have failed to report to their various schools for admissions. We are pleading with parents to go for the admissions,” she said