The Communications Director of the Vice President’s Campaign Team, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has indicated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are not just building schools, arguing that the ruling government is transforming schools at all levels.
He noted that the Free Senior High School initiative under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration is a financial intervention that removes the cost barrier to every Ghanaian who aspires to have a formal Education. He emphasized that no child should be left behind as a result of his or her parents’ or guardians’ inability to pay for their education.
The NPP Communicator further argued that the Free SHS initiative is the most impactful Social intervention policy the country has ever implemented since its independence, arguing that it only comes second to the National Health Insurance Scheme implemented under the Kuffour-led NPP government in 2000-2008.
“Free SHS was a necessity that should have happened in 2008 as a progressive policy to support the truly FCUBE [Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education] Kuffour executed but this took too long until 2017. The effect is losing about 800,000 of our productive and willing Youth dropping out as a result of poverty”.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
Touting the NPP-led governments for their social achievements made possible by social interventions they have undertaken over the years, the NPP Communicator emphasized that former President, J. A Kuffour improved basic education by removing costs and introducing social interventions like School feeding that opened up formal education to the country.
He added that the incumbent NPP administration added to that by including a free school feeding program in its Free SHS initiative at the various secondary schools nationwide.
Also, Dennis Aboagye indicated that although the need for Free and Compulsory Universal Basic Education was stated in Ghana’s constitution, it took the former President, J.A Kuffour to actualize it at the basic level of education.
Moreover, he noted that the former President’s decision to implement free and compulsory education at the basic level was met with infrastructure challenges like the Akufo-Addo-initiated Free SHS is facing at the moment.
He argued that the Free SHS, like any other policy, has its challenges and the government is committed to addressing these challenges to ensure the quality of education in Ghana.
Bawumia To Improve Education
As such he indicated that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, promised to pursue the Free SHS further to ensure that Ghanaian children have equal access to quality education at no cost to their parents or guardians beyond the current Akufo-Addo-led administration.
Dennis Aboagye further indicated that the Vice President, when given the mandate to be President, will lead a rapid transformational agenda for education under his presidency.
He argued that the Vice President will ensure that free SHS is protected to ensure every Ghanaian child “continues to dream and believe dreams can be achieved”.
Moreover, he accused the NDC of neglecting the education sector whenever it gets the opportunity to form a government, indicating that the NDC may scrape the Free SHS if care is not taken.
“Akufo-Addo preached Free SHS as much as possible but we did not listen to him. At the time he was preaching that the NDC and John Mahama, their leader, were running adverts against Free SHS. They organized more than 50 protests against a policy that has not been implemented yet”.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
Conclusively, the NPP Communicator noted that the NPP will remain committed to ensuring access to quality education that will impact the development of the country.
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