A Deputy National Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party popularly known as Dr. Asiedu Kokro has stressed that investment in education by President Nana Akufo-Addo government is unmatched in the country.
According to him, the recent comment made by the President calling for a broader dialogue on education was not limited to the free Senior High School (SHS) policy but funding of the entire education sector from primary to university.
In an interview with FOX FM’s ‘Eboboba’ political show, the deputy communications director reiterated that, no matter the challenges facing Ghana’s economy, the NPP government will forever be committed to education for all.
President Akufo-Addo, he noted, was taken out of context when he spoke about the state having a broader look at the funding of education as some politicians interpreted his call to mean a review of the free SHS system.
“Looking at how technology is going we are moving from the British Grammar schools to technological schools so the president’s call for educational review is appropriate”, he stated.
Answering a question about the free education policy, Mr. Kokro pointed out that Junior High School (JHS) final year examination registration fees were left for parents to pay during the previous government.
However, NPP government has taken over the payment of the fees since it took over power from the NDC.
“I remember during my old JHS days some of my colleagues could not write their exams because their parents were not able to afford for their final year exams registration but as it stands it has become a thing of the past, all B.E.C.E candidates can write their final exams without worries because government has taken all the burden.
“As it stands now, the beneficiaries of free SHS policy are almost 2.3 million in 2022. There is no single policy without challenges so when you implement the policy, some challenges will come but solving those challenges will make the policy stronger.
“At first when free SHS policy was implemented, the immediate challenge was infrastructure, we tackled it and now what do we see? Go to GSTS and see the Ultramodern auditorium that has been built for them; go to Baidoe Bonus senior high school, Diabene S.H.S, Sekondi college (SECKO) just to mention a few. Go there and see for yourself the massive work the NPP government is doing in the various schools”, Mr. Kokro pointed out.
Government, he added, is so far building 10 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) schools, which is a novelty across the country to promote science and technology in the country.
According to Mr. Kokro, the NDC led by the former president John Dramani Mahama is doing something he call “political strategy” of which he explained that, the opposition party is poisoning the minds of the ordinary Ghanaians to pave way for them to easily abolish the free SHS policy if they finally gain power.
The NPP Deputy Communications Director is of the view that if the NDC party wants the Free SHS to be reviewed, then they should suggest something better that will strengthen the policy.
“The NDC never stated in anywhere in their 2020 election manifesto the review they will be bringing on board so they should keep quiet. Ghanaians should be able to question the NDC whenever they talk about review.
“Mahama abolished teacher trainee allowance, veterinary trainee allowance, nursing trainee allowance, public health trainee allowance virtually everything saying the Economy was bad but we NPP formed government in 2017 and have restored all so people should stop comparing Akufo-Addo to Mahama”, he emphasised.
Touching on the inadequate accommodation situation in the various schools, Mr. Kokro said accommodation per a cohort report by African education watch(EDUWATCH) is never a problem to students but the problem now is feeding and even that Buffer stock is looking at that.
