Extending Free SHS to Private Schools Unconstitutional – Majority Leader

11th September 2020

According to the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the portion of the opposition NDC 2020 manifesto that promises to extend the Free SHS policy to private schools in underserved communities offends the 1992 Constitution.

The Suame Member of Parliament asserts that the constitution is unambiguous about the funding for private education in Ghana and that any move to vary that entrenched provision would require a referendum and so it does not lie in the mouth of any individual to promise to make any form of private schooling free.

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“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 thus, “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 said

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 stressed.