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Politics of Friday, 24 August 2012

Source: radioxyzonline

Nana Addo's free education is unrealistic - Terkper

A deputy Finance Minister, Seth Terkper has downplayed the free secondary education policy being promised by NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to Seth Terkper, the NPP will not be able to fund such a policy.

The NPP flagbearer at the IEA’s evening encounter with Presidential candidates said he will spend less than one per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product to fund the policy each year.

But Mr. Terkper says it is unrealistic to implement such a policy when education is not the only sector requiring attention.

He added that the current government has already shown commitment to prioritizing education with several interventions.

“To say that you are offering free education, you must also be prepared to expand intake also and you must plan. Where are you going to get the money to do the additional intake?

“There was talk of cluster of schools that will be established but where is the money for building those cluster of schools. Where is the money for boarding halls, assembly halls and classrooms when eventually your policy leads to an expansion?

“So when we say it is not feasible we are talking about real planning issues” Mr. Terkper said.