Opinions of Sunday, 14 July 2024

Columnist: Isaac Ofori, contributor

NDC's claim of Nana Addo's Free SHS illogical and disingenuous

The Free SHS logo The Free SHS logo

Since becoming the NPP's flagbearer in 2017, Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently demonstrated a commitment to helping many children in Ghana access Senior High School (SHS) education, despite financial barriers.

Before his intervention, SHS was a significant hurdle, with many brilliant students unable to continue their education due to financial constraints.
Nana Akufo-Addo revived the hopes of Ghanaian parents by promising free SHS education, a commitment he maintained since 2008.

Although he lost the 2012 elections, he faced opposition from Mahama and the NDC, who labeled the policy a scam and accused him of being a desperate politician. The NDC sponsored adverts against the policy, making their opposition clear.

In 2015, Mahama announced a 'progressively free SHS' policy, building E-blocks and providing some financial assistance to day students, but it struggled due to his initial opposition.

During the 2020 election campaign, Mahama criticized the implementation of free SHS, arguing that many parents could afford school fees, and claimed he would not allocate 2 billion Ghana cedis to the free SHS budget.

Mahama has consistently opposed the policy, suggesting a review without providing a clear guide. The NDC's claim that they started and implemented free SHS is misleading and an attempt to rewrite history.

Nana Akufo-Addo has been consistent with his free SHS campaign since 2008 and implemented it in his first year in office after winning the 2016 elections.

The NDC's attempt to claim credit is incomprehensible, and their potential alteration or cancellation of the policy could deny many poor students access to secondary education.