The Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has intimated that the free Senior High School (‘free SHS’) policy that was introduced in 2017, has served as the right ingredient for success.
Explaining the link between ‘Koko’ and ‘free SHS’ at a weekly press conference on 14th September, he stated that, “When we talk about ‘free SHS’, our opponents say, as for NPP people when you ask them about ‘Koko’ they say ‘free SHS’; when you ask them about ‘Koose’ they say free SHS. Let me tell you the linkage between ‘Koko’ and ‘free SHS’.
“Free SHS is what empowers the young boy or girl to acquire the requisite skills that empowers them with the entrepreneurial ability, to engage meaningfully in the society and to earn a living to buy ‘Koko’ not only for themselves, but also to take care of their families; that’s the direct link between ‘koko’ and ‘free SHS’.”
The former Minister of Information revealed that, Education has served as a great tool in channeling his life to success. Recalling his past life, he noted that without education, success would’ve been far-fetched.
“Education is what enables me to stand before you today to address the nation. Education is what allows a poor boy from Ghana in the remote corner of the Upper East Region to be Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies and to be Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development; only education does that.”
Stressing on eradicating illiteracy, he stated that, President Akufo Addo has been consistent in providing excellent education for the youth through Free SHS, regardless of the backlash from his opponent, noting that the President should be fair-haired for the bold initiative.
“If you have a president who has the vision to tackle education and promise to eradicate illiteracy within the generation, that is your president. It took the conviction and vision of President Akufo Addo to make the point that, Ghana needed to invest all its resources in the education of its children. Today, thanks to the conviction and vision like I have already said, many families are able to educate their children meaningfully, without poverty being a hindrance.
“At that time, many people had argued that free SHS would collapse both the economy, our country and its educational system. Now it takes a leader with conviction, to stand his grounds and to implement such a large and transforming policy.”
Also, Dr. Hamid revealed that, the tertiary institutions have the capacity to accommodate all students that would complete Senior High School.
“We have the conviction that when students complete ‘free SHS’, they will upgrade to other advanced institutions; both technical universities and the traditional universities. That is why government instituted the open universities system, that runs in many developed countries across the world, so that whoever comes out of the Senior High School will have an opportunity to access the tertiary educational world.”
He made a claim stating that, unlike the opposition party National Democratic Congress, the governing New Patriotic party (NPP), has enhanced the lives of the average Ghanaian.
