I’ll hold stakeholder dialogue on Free SHS within the first 100 days of my presidency — Mahama

Former president and opposition NDC flagbearer John Mahama has promised to hold a stakeholder dialogue on implementing the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy within his first 100 days in office if elected.

He said this while speaking at a meeting with leaders of teacher unions including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).

The one-time president said the dialogue will seek to address challenges with the rollout of Free SHS.

"Within the first 100 days of my becoming president, we will hold a stakeholder dialogue on education.

“It will have as part of its focus the implementational bottlenecks of the Free SHS, but it is also going to deal with how we can improve financing and teaching and learning at the basic school level and so at that stakeholder's engagement, NAGRAT, GNAT, parents, students, educational experts, everybody is going to be there and we are going to have a discussion on access, on equity, on affordability, and on financing our educational system,” said the NDC leader.

The stakeholder dialogue, if held, promises to bring together all relevant parties to offer solutions to issues affecting the free SHS.

Many say issues like inadequate infrastructure and textbook shortages have affected the successful rollout of the flagship Free SHS policy spearheaded by Mahama's successor Nana Akufo-Addo.