Political analyst Dr Richard Amoako Baah has advised politicians to concentrate their efforts on fixing the economy and creating well-paying jobs rather than making promises of free education and other free interventions.

“This free, free thing is killing the country. I would rather a parent has a job and can take care of his own child than government taking care of the child and giving free pad, free shoe, free uniforms, and free food,” he pointed out.

As part of its campaign message in the previous elections, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated in its manifesto a policy that will make Senior High School (SHS) education free in the country.

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), however, held the position that education should be made progressively free.

But Dr Baah believes targeting free education is wrong, but rather government should ensure that parents and guardians are adequately remunerated in a thriving economy.

The former head of the History and Political Science Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology told Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show host, Ekow Mensah-Shalders on Monday April 11 that individuals unable to meet the cost of education should be identified and catered for instead of implementing a blanket free education policy.

To him, the economy is the driving force of every other sector and policies must be directed towards a flourishing economic environment.

“You cannot talk about education without the economy, which is the driver of everything. So, fix the economy first then you will know how to fix other things. In this climate where you are swimming in debt up to your eyebrow, you want to talk about free SHS?” he questioned.