NDC taking credit for Free SHS policy they opposed – Bawumia
In one of vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s lectures on Nation Building he accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for taking credit for initiating Free Senior High School (FSHS).
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) through president Akufo-Addo implemented the policy despite various sabotages and criticism from the NDC.
He added due to the NPP’s determination of making Ghana’s educational system, fought through the hurdles to make the policy a reality.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to remember that the NDC opposed and bastardised the Free Senior High School policy proposed by president Nana Akufo-Addo. They said it was a hoax, they said it was a 419 promise, they said if they had 2 billion Ghana cedis they would not spend it on free SHS. They said free SHS education will collapse the education system”.
“They went on demonstrations against Free SHS. They even went to the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of Free SHS. They run over 40 adverts against free SHS, but the study and visionary Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he stuck to his grounds because he knew what was good for this country and he has successfully implemented Free SHS policy. But what we hear today, the NDC and their flag bearer is looking us straight in the eye and saying they started free SHS. Ewurade Nyankopong. Are they confused?,” he added.
The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) education policy in Ghana was initiated during the September 2017 administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo. Originating from one of the President’s campaign promises during the 2016 election period, the policy has evolved into a crucial component of Ghana’s educational system.
The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) education policy in Ghana was initiated during the September 2017 administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Originating from one of the President’s campaign promises during the 2016 election period, the policy has evolved into a crucial component of Ghana’s educational system.
As per reports from Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) over 5.7 million Ghanaian students have benefitted from the programme.
The education think tank has revealed that the Free SHS policy has granted a substantial increase in secondary school enrollment, soaring from 813,448 in the 2016/17 academic year to 1.3 million in the 2022/23 academic year.
The Akufo-Addo-led administration has faced criticism from various civil society organizations and educational institutions.
The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and other analysts have also highlighted fiscal and quality challenges that require careful reconsideration.
In November 2023, ISSER underscored the importance of reviewing specific aspects of the Free SHS program, including the sustainability of the government fully covering students’ tuition and costs within budget constraints.
The escalating teacher-student ratios in public SHS schools were also noted, impacting resources and learning.
The World Bank suggested means-testing and cost-sharing arrangements by parents to optimize program benefits and affordability.
In February 2024, the Executive Director of the Institute for Education Services (IFEST),Dr. Peter Anti, emphasized that acknowledging funding challenges in the Free SHS program is crucial for making progress in addressing the issue.
“While we were doing double track, we should have made a conscious effort to improve the infrastructure in our schools. Now we don’t know what is happening, we decided to go and do other kinds of projects within the same education sector,” he said on Tuesday.
tigpost.co
Leave A Comment