Akufo-Addo deserves commendation not criticism for free SHS – Adutwum

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo deserves honest commendation for rolling out the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

Dr Adutwum told PM Express on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, that instead of criticising the president, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) should applaud him for the education policy.

“You can’t just toy with it and make it a political football because it’s the efforts of an opponent. Give Akufo-Addo some credit for coming up with the innovation, before saying probably you would have done it differently,” he said.

“It’s not about the NDC liking free S.H.S or double track, but rather understanding the facts behind it, whether you like it or not, as a politician, it’s your responsibility to understand the facts,” he said.

According to him, the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is the only government in Ghana’s history to have invested $1.5 billion into education infrastructure.

This, in his opinion, is a firm testament to the current’s government’s commitment to improving the welfare of children.

According to him, there is no need for a review of any aspect of the education policy like the double-track system because it is yielding results.

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has said he will scrap the system if he comes to power in 2020.

But Dr Adutwum said comments like that are unfortunate.

“We won’t review the free education policy. When it comes to education, look at it through the lens of education policy. Education now has to drive our transformation agenda,” he said.