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NDC set solid foundation for free SHS - Okudzeto Ablakwa

A former Deputy Minister of Education Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the erstwhile Mahama-led administration invested millions of dollars in expanding infrastructure in the education sector.

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Okudzeto Ablakwa said the erstwhile Mahama-led administration invested millions of dollars in expanding infrastructure in the education sector. He said these expansions have created the opportunity for the Nana Addo-led government to implement the free SHS policy.

“Now with President Mahama’s community-based schools and with the Secondary education programme, which the World Bank supported with 156 million dollars, a very solid foundation has been laid for a take-off. Article 25 says secondary education should be progressively free, and that is what we implemented. We were only satisfying what the constitution says because the framers of the constitution were aware of the challenges confronting secondary education.”

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The MP warned that the NPP government should rather focus on the quality of education instead of the quantity of students to be educated under this policy.

“At the end of the day, if it is all about taking everybody to school but we do not have quality education then there is nothing more dangerous than a poorly educated citizenry. You certainly will be creating a nightmare and a danger for the future of your country.”

“Now looking at all the investments that have been made, I will say that now you can begin talking about improving on the progressively free secondary education programme. However, the word of caution is that it is important for us to see that the programme of action is on quality because they must not abandon President Mahama’s quality and access initiatives as we introduce Free SHS. If we do that, then we run the risk of destroying secondary education because public secondary schools do better. Your Grade A schools do better, so it is important that we maintain this tradition. We should be guided by how public basic education slipped.”

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said his government will absorb the cost of Senior High School education beginning September 2017.

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Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the 60th Anniversary celebration of Okuapeman School Saturday, the president added that: "The free SHS will also cover agricultural, vocational and technical institutions at the high school level. I also want to state clearly again that we have a well-thought-out plan that involves the building of new public Senior High Schools and cluster public Senior High Schools”.

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