The Running mate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang has categorically refuted claims that NDC flagbearer, John Mahama has an intention to cancel the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy when elected into office in December.
According to her such claims were “lies” and challenged those spreading such misinformation to provide video evidence to support their allegations.
Professor Opoku Agyemang, who served as the Minister for Education when the erstwhile John Mahama rolled out Progressively Free SHS program, expressed deep concern with the challenges facing the policy as implemented by the Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia led administration.
Addressing a large crowd during her three-day campaign tour of the western Region, Professor Opoku Agyemang noted that the NDC foresaw these challenges during their rollout of the Progressively free SHS.
“At the time of implementation, we realized that many children were deprived of access to education due to infrastructure challenges,”
“It was our commitment to ensure that all Ghanaian children have access to quality education,” she stated.
The Running mate noted that the Free SHS in its current form is struggling with logistical challenges, particularly concerning feeding programs and accommodation for students.
She said these challenges were “major concerns of the NDC” and reiterated the NDC’s commitment to resolving the issues eliminating the challenges.
Professor Opoku Agyemang also bemoaned the congestion that double-track system had created within the various senior high schools and how it was impacting the provision of quality education.
“The next NDC government will abolish the double-track system to ensure that all secondary school students can attend school simultaneously,” she said.
She reassured Ghanaians that the NDC party was committed to improving the free SHS policy, rather than scrapping it and challenged critics to provide evidence of John Mahama’s alleged plans to cancel the policy.
Story by: Emmanuel Coffie
