Why They Give Free SHS Bad Name

 

The pragmatic education policy introduced by the Akufo-Addo government has never received any acclaim from the opposition NDC.

The late Lee Ocran, a Minister of Education under the late President Mills, was on record to have said that Ghana was not ready for the free Senior High School (SHS).

He even said that policy could only be implemented after 40 years because the country lacked the resources for its implementation.

The NDC, from 2008 till date, has carried negative messages about the education reform and at the last count in 2016, the NDC led by John Mahama had carried 40 television and radio commercials stating its opposition to the free SHS.

We have always reminded Ghanaians to reject John Mahama’s perception that the people have short memories.

The NDC flagbearer had also said if he had two billion cedis, he would not invest it on free SHS.

The person who rejects investment in education to increase access to our children lacks the vision for nation-building. The NDC believes in keeping people ill-informed so that they will remain down-trodden to be oppressed by the ruling class in the leadership of the party.

Ironically, some of the leaders attended school in not too good structures but have struggled through life to be in responsible positions today because of education. We believe education is a leveler and has bridged the gap between the rich and the poor.

People from poor families who sacrificed to attain good education are rubbing shoulders with children of the well-to-do in the public service today. Let no one deceive a section of the people that the free SHS has destroyed the education system. In spite of the challenges of the reform like the double track system, the free SHS is arguably the most pro-poor policy ever introduced in the country since independence.

Today, many communities can beat their chests that their children too are in senior high schools and others in first class schools.

The free SHS has affected every family in every corner of the country with very good results regardless of the mass enrolment. As for us if the government would use all our taxes to educate our children, we would salute the state for pursuing an agenda to ensure total literacy in the near future.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s claim that it is better to be an illiterate than attending free SHS, is loose talk coming from an irresponsible parent, whose children are in Canada attending school or engaged in productive work because of education. Maybe he has never attended any forum of teachers where they have always stressed the importance of education. That is why teachers would always remind parents thus: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Ghanaians, as we inch towards the political season, the NDC would continue to give the free SHS a bad name to hang it so that our children will be illiterates for easy manipulation for electoral gain.

The NDC knows that so long as Ghanaians become more discerning, its electoral fortune do not look good. While the NDC is yet to convince Ghanaians with any major policies to change the fundamentals of our development, it has managed to gain foothold over a section of society like Info Analytics to come out with a very biased survey to suggest that 24-hour economy is superior to the digital economy.

“Haba”, let some of these politically sponsored pollster bodies like Info Analytics credit Ghanaians with some common sense.

To you Info Analytics, we can only say that “you cannot fool the people all of the time.” Sooner than later, your attempt to influence the elections in a certain direction would be exposed. And that is why we keep emphasising the need for Ghanaians to be wary of so-called role models.

 

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