In a thought-provoking social media post, the Executive Director of Eduwatch, Kofi Asare, has expressed deep concern regarding the government’s decision to prohibit parents from sewing their ward’s uniforms in Senior High Schools (SHS).
This restriction has sparked a debate surrounding the contradiction between the provision of free uniforms in SHS and the denial of the same benefits in basic schools.
Asare highlights an interesting observation wherein even financially constrained parents who purchased school uniforms for their children in Junior High School (JHS) are willing to continue doing so in SHS.
However, the government’s stance contradicts their willingness, as the implementation of the free SHS policy seems to be driven by compulsion rather than need.
Drawing attention to the disparity in uniform provisions, Asare emphasizes that Ghana is the only country where basic schools are denied free uniforms while SHS students enjoy this privilege.
Astonishingly, a pair of SHS uniforms is estimated to cost GHC 120, making it a considerable expense for parents.
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Adding to the concern, Asare points out that despite being five months into the 2023 academic year, new SHS students are still without uniforms. Consequently, many students are forced to attend classes in either casual attire or mismatched outfits, such as the popular ‘check check’ pattern.
To compound the issue, uniform contractors in Accra are currently staging demonstrations due to unpaid debts since 2021, amounting to millions of cedis. This financial strain raises questions about the availability of funds for the provision of uniforms.
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Asare brings attention to the fact that parents are more than capable of affording school uniforms for their children.
However, the intertwining politics and procurement associated with the policy stand as barriers preventing the Ministry of Education from accepting parental contributions in this regard.
Concluding his post, Asare challenges the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, to provide a clarifying explanation on this matter.