Educationist Dr Ibrahim Gunu has advised politicians to desist from debating on who began Free SHS and who did not as he observes that such debates divert focus from the important issues of education in Ghana.

Speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he noted: “It is not necessary to debate on this. We should rather be talking about how we can make education a very important tool for national development in Ghana. I think that is what is important. I also feel that we should move beyond the thinking that free Senior High School is about good exams results and so on. What will happen in the future is that we are likely to blame each other if we get the worst results. Education goes beyond exams results”.

Dr Gunu suggests that if there should be any discussions at all on the Free SHS, such discussions should focus on how beneficial it has been to the country.

“Free SHS can lead to creating an igniting society. It can also equip Ghanaian students with appropriate skills and value judgment. We also need to understand that free SHS is about providing capable access to education. It can also lead to an opportunity of creating a sense of creativity among the youths. And I think that should be the focus. We should move away from issues of exams results and issues of who started free SHS”.

Last Tuesday, while on a tour of some constituencies in the Upper East Region, Mr Mahama stated that “we started the policy [free SHS] and the NPP came and continued it”.

Reacting to Mr Mahama’s claim, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed disbelief over claims being made by the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as he described the statement as “something which shocked me [him]”.

According to the President, when he promised free SHS in 2008, 2012 and 2016 campaigns, the NDC and their flagbearer, John Mahama said he was deceiving the people. But today, he has been able to introduce free SHS.