[ 2017-05-17 ]

Education Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh

I never said Free SHS is for brilliant students – Napo
Education Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has
denied media reports suggesting that the NPP's
Free Senior High School policy set to be rolled
out this September is for 'brilliant' students
only.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh has described as 'false',
'twisted' and 'misleading', the said comments
attributed to him following an interview he
granted to Accra based Starr FM.

A publication by starrfmonline.com on Tuesday May
16, 2017 with the headline ‘Only brilliant
students will enjoy Free SHS - NAPO’ said the
much talked about policy by the governing New
Patriotic Party was one that was to be enjoyed by
not all students but only 'brilliant' ones who had
successfully passed the Basic Education
Certificate Examination, attributing the claim to
the Minister.

But the Education Minister has taken strong
exception to the 'misleading' headline questioning
the basis for such an act by editors of the online
platform and host of the Morning Starr, Francis
Abban. Portions of the Minister's rejoinder reads,
‘My disappointment with the news item is
exacerbated by the fact that in a conversation
with Mr. Abban just before the formal interview
started, I specifically raised concerns about
misleading headline on the basis of past
experiences. Mr. Abban promised not to be
mischievous as others had been, and yet exactly
the opposite has taken place in this instance,
giving a completely false, twisted and misleading
headline to my comments on access to free SHS.’

Read the full statement from the Education
Minister here.

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

REJOINDER: STARRFMONLINE.COM NEWS ITEM ON FREE SHS
POLICY.
My attention has been drawn to a news item on
Starrfmonline’s website, published yesterday
16th May 2017 and headlined ‘Only Brilliant
Students will Enjoy Free SHS-NAPO’. The news
item was based on an interview I granted earlier
to Mr. Francis Abban of Starr FM, and which was
aired on Monday 15th May 2017.

I categorically wish to place on record that at no
point during the interview did I state or even
imply, however remotely, that Free SHS would apply
only to brilliant JHS graduates.

What I made clear was that starting in September
2017, any JHS graduate who passes the BECE and is
placed in a public senior high school will benefit
from Free SHS. This has been our consistent
position as a government.

My disappointment with the news item is
exacerbated by the fact that in a conversation
with Mr. Abban just before the formal interview
started, I specifically raised concerns about
misleading headline on the basis of past
experiences. Mr. Abban promised not to be
mischievous as others had been, and yet exactly
the opposite has taken place in this instance,
giving a completely false, twisted and misleading
headline to my comments on access to free SHS.

I strongly believe it is important for journalists
to honour their word and be thoroughly
professional and meticulous, as accuracy is
paramount in their line of work. I would fervently
hope that there are no ulterior motives to this
obviously false headline or that the mischief was
not at anyone’s bidding.

The media, as the fourth estate, are crucial
partners in nation building, and it is important
for public officials to develop and maintain a
warm relationship with the fraternity. However,
incidents like this threaten to mar this
relationship as they lead to suspicion and
wariness on the part of public officials. That is
not a healthy development.

I expect that the management of Starr FM will take
the necessary steps to address this lack of
professionalism as a matter of extreme urgency.

Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Minster

Source - www.ghanaweb.com

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