Free SHS is a good idea but it was rushed – Kojo Bonsu

In an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, Kojo Bonsu said even though it is a good policy it was rushed hence the challenges the policy is encountering.

“Free SHS is a good idea,” Mr. Bonsu said.

“But they could have taken their time to implement it. They were in a rush to implement it. We’re doing the shift system now and it will create a lot of problems for us. A lot of students are home and teenage pregnancy will start fusing in. National consultation will have been ideal. We’ll look at it in a very positive way,” he added.

The double track system was introduced by the government in order to address the increasing numbers of new entrants into Senior High Schools after the introduction of Free SHS.

The system allows each track to be in school for a specific number of days for each semester, go on vacation and come back for the second semester.

While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice versa. The objectives of the Double-track School Calendar are to create room to accommodate the increase in enrolment, reduce class sizes, increase contact hours and to increase the number of holidays.

Even though Mr. Bonsu believes this is a good thing, other contender and frontrunner in the race John Mahama has described the Double Track system as senseless.

“I believe that if Ghanaians come together we can come out with a workable timetable and schedule for implementing free SHS, because the double track system is not understandable. We just finished vacation, children have been at home for almost three months, it’s time to go to school and you say they should stay back at home for another forty-one days and let their friends go so they can also go after that time. It doesn’t make sense and that is because our friends don’t listen to advice,” Mahama said at Cape Coast where he was campaigning for the slot to lead the NDC in the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bonsu has promised to turn the economy around when he wins the NDC race and eventually becomes president.

“A lot is wrong with the economy. The depreciation of the Cedi against the Dollar is not good. The promises were too much and because they can’t fulfill them it has created economic problems,” Mr. Bonsu said.