It’s been a week since the implementation of government’s Free SHS policy and the frenzy it generated.
Though it was met with a lot of skepticism from several quarters during its proposal by the New Patriotic Party to Ghanaian electorates in the run up to the 2016 elections and even as far back as the 2008 elections, like a pregnancy that has gone through the whole nine months journey, the baby has finally been delivered.
And, like every other baby after it is born, it requires attention and love and care in order to grow up healthy and strong.
This Free SHS policy is our baby – every Ghanaian’s baby. Regardless of our political affiliations, the policy is a Ghanaian baby clad in Red, Gold and Green.
Every child, in spite of his/her parent’s political background, will benefit from the policy as long as they fall within the Ghana Education Service’s cut-off point.
There are challenges, no doubt. Like our Nigerian friends say, ‘Monkey no fine, but him mama like am’. One will be naïve to think a human effort on large a scale as the Free SHS policy will run without any talking point.
There has already been many, and, as the days go by, more talking points will arise. However, does that mean we throw away the baby along with the bath water? No!
Collectively, we can make it work. With that African value we all know too well – the one that talks about a child not raised by its parents alone, but more importantly by the entire community – we all need that sense of community with this Free SHS policy. We all need to join hands to make this work.
While I wash the right leg, you can wash the left leg. While Auntie Araba washes the armpits, Daavi can get ready with the powder.
This could be the wind of change our country needs to help set us on a new path; a path where for once, Ghanaians put aside their political cloaks in pursuit of a greater good; a path that unveils a new world with new horizons and heights which once upon a time seemed unattainable for many Ghanaians children.
This could be the wind of change generations to come will look back on one day, and feel proud to have been born in the land of the black star – Africa’s shining star.
We must not spare the rod in the upbringing of this child. We must not hold back objective criticism of the policy. We must whip, but we must also console and commend.
Well done to the dreamers of the policy. Well done to the implementers. Well done to Ghana.
Once again, ‘monkey no fine, but him mama like am’…we can make this monkey fine… some powder here, some pomade there, some smacks up the backside to serve as correction. Let us make this Free SHS policy work.
~ Godwin Kpade
