The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has disclosed that it will be unconstitutional to extend the ‘Free SHS’ policy to private schools.
He said promise of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will create constitutional challenges.
Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Angel FM, the Suame MP said: “When I heard it I said to myself that this man should be careful about some of the things that he says; I’m talking about the constitution”, buttressing his argument by quoting Article 25 Clause 2 of the 1992 Constitution.”
“Every person shall have the right, at his own expense, to establish and maintain a private school or schools at all levels and of such categories and in accordance with such conditions as may be provided by law”, he added.
He cited the supremacy of the constitution and its dictates that persons who have the resources to establish a private school must do so at their own cost “with no financial help from the government”.
“So if you say that you will fund private schools with government money, it offends the constitution; the Article 25 is an entrenched provision, so if you want to change it, you must conduct a referendum according to the constitution; so I get worried listening to him at times and wonder if he would want to abide by the constitution or not”, he said.Honourable Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu
The NDC, on Monday, at its manifesto launch announced that it will extend the Free SHS to private schools in deprived areas.
“The next NDC Government will make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced, expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas and abolish the double-track system”, the Vice President candidate of the NDC said.
