Allow Rich Parents to Pay for Fees Under Free SHS – IEA to Gov’t

Dr John Kwakye, the director of research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) wants the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme to be reviewed to allow rich parents to pay for their wards’ fees.

According to Kwakye, this could help lessen the fiscal pressure on the government in the wake of the economic challenges facing the country.

“I am not against Free SHS because human capital creates fiscal capital… but if some people can afford its payment then let them pay or we can even do cost-sharing,” the economist said on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (16 June).

“Why is the government taking care of all these responsibilities? Is it because it wants to be popular? The purse is not limitless,” Kwakye told Kwaku Nhyira-Addo.

He added: “It really makes no sense why the government is so adamant to pay [the fees of the wards of] parents who want to make the payment themselves.”

The director of research at IEA wants the government to seriously consider reviewing the Free SHS programme.

“This government made so many promises in order to win power and now that it realises that their implementation is not easy … I really wish government would take a second look at them.”