Global site navigation

Mahama Affirms Commitment To Free Secondary Education: “Free SHS Policy Has Come To Stay”
Politics

Mahama Affirms Commitment To Free Secondary Education: “Free SHS Policy Has Come To Stay”

by  Delali Adogla-Bessa 2 min read
  • Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his commitment to the Free SHS policy
  • The government is set to present the Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill to Parliament to protect the future of the policy
  • In 2017, President Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme after making it a campaign promise

PAY ATTENTION: Follow YEN's WhatsApp channel for a daily dose of breaking news on the go!

National Democratic Congress flagbearer John Mahama has affirmed his commitment to the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

In an engagement with journalists, Mahama promised to improve it if he is re-elected as president.

Mahama Affirms Commitment To Free Secondary Education
President Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme after making it a campaign promise. Source: Ministry of Education GH/John Dramani Mahama
Source: Facebook

“The Free SHS policy has come to stay, and I am committed to improving it,” the former President said.

He once again debunked claims that he was against the policy and insisted that he supports it and only wants to improve it to deal with present challenges.

Read also

Political historian advises NPP to prevent NAPO from making off-script and impromptu public speeches

PAY ATTENTION: All celebrity news in one place! Follow YEN's Facebook Broadcast channel and read on the go.

Mahama said he would support the Free SHS Bill, which is yet to be laid before Parliament if it sought to improve and sustain the policy.

The government is set to present the Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill to Parliament to protect the future of the policy.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the goal was to make the policy more effective and sustainable.

In 2017, President Akufo-Addo started the Free Senior High School programme after making it a campaign promise.

The policy has been plagued with growing pains and concerns with the quality of education despite increased enrollment.

Parents are also still incurring significant costs to send their wards to school despite the promise of free education.

Africa Education Watch revealed that expenses by parents outweigh the costs incurred by the government under Free SHS.

Read also

"The governors must go": Minority to stage second #OccupyBoG demo on July 30, 2024

The education think tank found that the government is spending GH¢2,385 on the wards while the parents are spending GH¢4,000.

The challenges with the policy have led to calls for more consultation and reviews of the policy.

If elected president in the 2024 elections, Mahama promised to fix the challenges with the free SHS.

Bawumia to involve PTAs in free SHS feeding programme

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia, proposed including parents in the feeding programme of the free SHS policy.

He said his proposal would allow parents to play integral roles in nourishing their wards at school.

These include monitoring foods distributed at schools and the quality and quantity of foods served to their wards.

Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh

PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.

Tags:
Hot: