In a scathing critique of the current administration, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama has chastised the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for its failure to address the critical issues plaguing Ghana’s secondary education system.
Mrs Mogtari, reacting to a recent documentary titled “The Empty Plates Story”, aired by an Accra-based media organization Joy News, which shed light on the dire inadequacy of food being served to students in second-cycle institutions across the country, expressed deep concern about the development.
She emphasized that the issues highlighted in the documentary are just the tip of the iceberg, pointing to a systemic breakdown in the education sector that has been exacerbated by the current administration’s failures and refusal to listen to cautions.
“I have seen excerpts of the Joy News documentary — the empty plates story exposing the inadequacy of the food being served by this government to our children in the second cycle institutions. I have been following the story and the subsequent discussions, especially, the government’s shocking attempt to defend the indefensible.
“This is most disappointing, especially seeing as each and every single person in Ghana, knows that all is not well with our secondary schools, just like the struggling country”.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari Esq.
Furthermore, the former Deputy Minister of Transport under the erstwhile Mahama’s administration while complaining about what she described as the worsening state of the country’s secondary education, recounted what according to her is the sentiments of many Ghanaians who have expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions in schools.
She referenced the testimonies of students from Wesley Girls High School, who shared distressing accounts of inadequate infrastructure and substandard living conditions on campus.
Mrs Mogtari further underscored the detrimental impact of the single and double-track system on the quality of education, asserting that the government’s failure to address these challenges has resulted in a significant decline in teaching and learning standards in the country’s public school.
She criticized President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration for its inability to effectively implement alternative initiatives to address the various challenges facing several secondary schools in the country since the introduction of the government flagship free senior high school policy.
Government Accused Of Corruption
Moreover, the Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama accused the ruling New Patriotic Party of mismanaging and diverting public funds which could have been used to address the challenges facing the country’s secondary cycle institutions as a result of the free senior school policy.
Drawing a sharp contrast with the current government’s response to criticism, Mrs Mogtari highlighted the irony of some leading members of the governing New Patriotic Party, who vehemently condemned similar issues when they were in opposition.
“Their stock in trade is to propose otherwise good initiatives and end up poorly implementing them. The fact of the matter is that wilful wastefulness of our meagre resources and widespread, free-for-all corruption are to blame for our government’s inability to properly feed our children and keep them in school”.
Joyce Bawah Mogtari Esq.
She recalled instances where the New Patriotic Party while in opposition criticized the previous administration over seemingly minor issues, such as the non-availability of chalk, while now failing to address fundamental problems facing the education system.
Mrs. Mogtari accused the ruling New Patriotic Party administration of demonstrating hypocrisy and double standards on issues relating to accountability, transparency, and governance.
In a call to action, Mrs Mogtari urged President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration to emulate the proactive approach of former President John Dramani Mahama, particularly in addressing infrastructure deficits and enhancing the quality of education in the country.
She emphasized the need for decisive action to rectify the systemic shortcomings that according to her have undermined the free senior high school policy and jeopardized the future of Ghana’s youth.
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