The Communications Director of the Conventions Peoples Party (CPP) has called on the government not to witch-hunt headmasters who would speak about the challenges associated with the Free SHS programme.

Abdul Rauf Kadir said although it is obvious that the policy has come to stay, “let us also admit and be fair that there are definitely challenges in the programme”.

The CPP Director of Communication was contributing to the discussions on TV3 New Day with regards to President Akufo-Addo’s comment on the Free SHS during his address at the 72nd UN General Assembly meeting in New York, which he trumpeted that it has led to an increase of over 90,000 children going to secondary school this academic year.

However, Abdul Rauf Kadir told the New Day Host, Bright Nana Amfoh some schools are yet to receive their grants, making it difficult for their headmasters to keep quiet. Moreover, the CPP man went back to history to prove that the policy is not a novel. “When people say free SHS is something which has just begun; it is an exaggeration because it has been there since 1960s”.

A legal practitioner, Bobby Benson who was also on the show warned, “it will be suicidal for any political party who comes to power to cancel the Free SHS”.

He added, “the NPP promised and they have delivered but maybe they should have taken one year to implement it but as it stands now, it has come to stay”. Deputy Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred Agbenyo says it is deceptive to conclude that Ghana has free SHS because “what we have now is the progressively free SHS”.

He noted that the NDC is concerned about the sustainability of the policy but said it has no idea of abolishing it in future.