Akufo-Addo hints of law to protect Free SHS policy

A law to protect the government’s flagship Free SHS policy is in the offing, president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

According to him, the law will prevent any future review of the programme in the event that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) loses the presidential elections in the future.

“We are going to enact a legislation to make access to SHS compulsory for every school going child. This will ensure that those who have pledged in their dreams to ‘review the free SHS policy’ do not get the chance to destroy this policy in the very unlikely event that they return,” the president said.

He was addressing a graduation ceremony at the University of Development Studies (UDS) at Tamale in the Northern region, Saturday.

The Free SHS policy was implemented in September when the 2017/2018 academic year. The programme started with first-year students in all public SHSs and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions across the country.

The policy absorbs all approved fees that were charged before the 2017/2018 in public SHS and TVET Institutions.

But it has been fraught with challenges, some of which has led to the introduction of the double track system.

Former president John Mahama has promised to review the policy if elected President in December 2020.

The policy is ill-timed, he told party faithfuls at the Cape Coast North constituency in the Central region during a tour ahead of his party's presidential primaries.

"Our NPP friends, they don't listen to advice, they think they know everything," he criticised.

President Akufo-Addo is, however, bent on making that impossible.

“We have worked very hard against all odds over the last 22 months to broaden access for Ghanaian children to a minimum of senior high school education,” he said.

“Indeed, the most important resource of any nation is its people, investing in our children and thereby the future of our country is the most appropriate investment any government can make and we are fully committed to continuing on this part,” the president added.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | NSA