The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has reiterated that his party is still committed to reviewing the Free Senior High School policy, should it come into office after the 2024 election. Asiedu Nketia made the declaration during a press conference in Accra, following mounting criticisms from various sectors against the policy.
The Free SHS policy, implemented by the NPP government in 2017, aspires to make sure all Ghanaian children receive free secondary education. However, since its implementation, the program has been criticized to be faced with numerous challenges that include overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and concerns about quality. While the government insists the policy has expanded access to education, some critics insist that it has not been backed with adequate resources and that its quality has consequently suffered.
Asiedu Nketia said this while addressing a press conference on behalf of the NDC, emphasizing that their stand on the Free SHS policy has not changed and remains irrelevant to the twisted arguments by the NPP and other individuals. He said the NDC was not opposed to the principle of free education but believed the policy in its current form was unsustainable and had to be reviewed.
"Our determination to review the Free SHS policy remains unwavering," Asiedu Nketia declared. "We are not reneging on our commitment to make it more effective, sustainable, and to ensure that quality education delivery for all students is achieved. No amount of political manipulation will change our determination."
Asiedu Nketia went further to say that the commitment of the NDC was toward bringing into being an improved education system where quality and access went together. He said the review of the policy would look at improved funding mechanisms, effective resource allocation, and school infrastructure to meet the challenges faced by both students and educators.
The NDC's commitment to re-evaluation of the Free SHS policy has pitted many at the political front lines against one another, as believers embraced it while critics see it as the killing of a significant government policy.
The free SHS policy is one of the critical issues that will dominate the political space as the country gets closer to the 2024 election.
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