Professor Joshua Alabi, the Campaign Manager for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has clarified the origins and future of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy. He said Free SHS was enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, which means it could not have been the brainchild of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
According to Alarbi, Free SHS was conceived by NDC before the Akufo-Addo’s government took over, with broad input from stakeholders like business groups, market women and the Hairdressers Association. Explaining the history, Prof. Alabi noted that the NDC laid the groundwork for Free SHS under President Mahama’s Progressive Free SHS policy, which began with the idea of increasing infrastructure. The E-Block project, launched under Mahama’s administration, aimed to build more schools to address the capacity challenges anticipated with expanding access to secondary education. However, the 2016 election loss halted further developments.
“The Free SHS is constitutionally mandated,” Prof. Alabi stated. “Unfortunately, some people want to take sole credit for the policy. When the NPP came to power, they implemented Free SHS abruptly, which led to significant challenges because of inadequate planning,” he explained, adding that a lack of foresight contributed to the double-track system and overcrowding. Prof. Alabi outlined how the NDC plans to improve the Free SHS program if it wins the 2024 election, emphasizing that a review does not mean cancellation, as the NPP has claimed. Instead, the NDC would
Joshua Alabi settles debate on Free SHS, strongly explains how NDC started it and why it will not be cancelled focus on enhancing accessibility by completing all E-Blocks and ongoing school projects, as well as extending Free SHS to private schools to reduce pressure on government schools.
To improve the quality of education, he further explained that the NDC would decentralize school feeding grants, allowing headmasters and bursars to purchase food directly from local markets. “This will boost the local economy while ensuring students receive the nutrition they need,” he said.
In addition to expanding access and decentralizing food procurement, he added that the NDC plans to address resource shortages, including textbooks to improve learning outcomes. “When we create enough space, eliminate the double-track system, and ensure teachers are well-rested, students will receive higher-quality education,” Prof. Alabi emphasized.
Concluding his remarks, Prof. Alabi urged Ghanaians to ignore NPP lies about the Free SHS and vote for Mahama on December 7, promising a refined, accessible, and effective Free SHS program that will foster quality education – where overcrowding is eliminated, school children are fed with nutritious meals and supplied with textbooks.