Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has rejected claims by former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia that the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme is facing challenges.
He said the programme has rather seen improvements under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, particularly in the supply of food to schools.
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Speaking about comments attributed to Dr Bawumia at the New Patriotic Party’s national delegates conference in Kumasi, Haruna Iddrisu said the former vice president may have been misinformed.
“Over the weekend, the New Patriotic Party leadership were in Kumasi for the election of its national leaders… Significant at that forum were comments attributed to the flagbearer and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, to which he said that the Free Senior High School is suffering,” he said.
He said while the Free SHS programme faced challenges under the previous administration, the current government had taken steps to address them.
“I don't want to believe that the Free Senior High School did not suffer in the last decade or eight years, and that every qualified BECE student got admission to a secondary school of his or her choice. That practically was impossible, and therefore Dr Mahamudu Bawumia must come again when he says that the Free Senior High School is suffering,” he argued.
“Also attributable to him was that he says that students have no meals. That is economically begging the truth,” he added.
Haruna insisted that the government had changed the funding arrangements for Free SHS and improved food supplies to schools.
“President John Dramani Mahama has repealed the Free Senior High School, and this funding mechanism was (sic) with the uncapping of the debt fund. Adequate food supplies have been made available to all senior high schools across the country, unlike it was in the last 8 years of the NPP administration.
“These are matters anybody, including parents and students, can verify based on evidence available,” he noted.
He also disputed Dr Bawumia’s claim that tuition was made free under the NPP government.
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According to him, tuition has been free at all levels of education in Ghana since independence.
“When Dr Bawumia said that tuition was free under the New Patriotic Party, that is also begging the issue. Throughout history, and since independence, tuition has remained free at all levels of education in Ghana. That is fact, and that is evidence. Maybe he was probably talking about living in another country and not in Ghana he seeks to lead,” he concluded.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has rejected Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's claims that the Free SHS programme is facing challenges, stating that the programme has seen significant improvements under the NDC government. He says Bawumia may have been misinformed and urged him to reconsider his claims, particularly on student feeding and other support. #3NewsGH #TV3GH
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