Eduwatch Africa is calling on the government to allocate funds for basic education examination assessments, citing the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) policy.
This follows reports of school heads threatening to bar students from exams if parents do not comply with unauthorized fees.
The organization emphasized that under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) policy, the government is responsible for financing such educational programs.
Eduwatch acknowledged the importance of parental contributions to school development but stressed that these should remain voluntary, not mandatory.
The organization’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare, argues that the government is mandated to finance these educational programs
In an interview on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Eduwatch’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare, questioned why senior high schools receive funding for their academic activities, while basic schools are left out.
He advocates for equal treatment, stating that the government should make specific allocations for school-based examinations in basic schools.
Eduwatch Africa has urged the government to allocate funds for the assessment of basic education examinations,
Asare remarked, “Moving forward, we have indicated that the government must make specific allocations for school based examination. We struggle to appreciate and indeed, it’s unconscionable that the government allocate funds for the conduct of secondary education assessment under Free SHS, but government fails to do so in basic schools.”
“Why is it the case that it is illegal to collect examination fees from students or parents in senior high schools? Why is it that it is illegal but it is permissible to do same in basic schools.”
“So we want to start a new path for basic schools. The only reason why you cannot do that in senior high schools is that the political class themselves are the vanguards of secondary education because of Free SHS, but no one cares about basic education.”
