Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakar, has expressed shock at what she describes as the backtracking of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, in 2020 criticized the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for what he described as the poor implementation of the Free SHS policy.
The former President said the poor implementation of the policy had brought a lot of confusion to the education sector and stress on parents and their children.
He noted, for instance, that the double track system that came with the policy had affected students and parents, adding that the next NDC government would abolish the double track system in its first year in office.
But in a recent development, Mr Mahama has affirmed his commitment to the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and promised to improve it if he is re-elected as president in the upcoming elections.
“The Free SHS policy has come to stay, and I am committed to improving it,” he said while addressing pressmen in Accra on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Atinka TV’s political show “Agenda” with host Nana Yaw Fianko on Monday, July 8, 2024, Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar said the presidential candidate’s U-turn on the Free SHS is shocking.
Fatimatu Abubakar recounted an incident in 2015 where 344 out of 415 final year students from St. Thomas Aquinas were sacked from the exam hall for owing school fees under the leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama.
She questioned the rationale behind a Free SHS policy where students are sacked for owing fees.
“Which of the NDC manifestos has free SHS policy? There is none,” Fatimatu Abubaker explained.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu