Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, believes it is unforgivable that President Akufo-Addo has refused to listen to former President John Dramani Mahama’s advice to engage stakeholders on the best way to improve the challenged free senior high school policy.
The lawmaker who represents Builsa South constituents said the former president’s call was a good one that will allow the nation to review the policy and resolve the implementation issues plaguing the fSHS system.
The MP argued that the policy is facing challenges which is why stakeholders such as former VCs, teacher unions, CSOs, NGOs, religious organizations, media personnel, traditional leaders, parents, and even some government officials have called for a review.
Dr. Apaak went on to say that the president’s refusal to review the policy is not ideal.
Mr. Mahama, he said, did not give the advice just to score a political point, but because he cared about the nation.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has chastised President Nana Akufo-Addo for his government’s refusal to review the flagship free senior high school program.
It was the case of Mr. Mahama that the government’s politicization of education and sacrifice of quality for quantity has resulted in inadequate boarding student feeding.
Speaking to delegates at the 8th Biennial Delegate Conference of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) in Koforidua, stated that free senior high school is here to stay and urged government to consider holding a national stakeholders’ conference to review its implementation.
Reacting, Dr. Clement Apaak said;
”JM continues to encourage this government to consider a stakeholder conference to REVIEW the implementation of the fSHS policy to resolve the implementation challenges bedevilling the fSHS system.
At every opportunity, JM has stated that “fSHS education has come to stay” (see attached video, 17th August 2022, Koforidua).
That the programme is challenged is self evident and that’s why stakeholders, including former VCs, Teacher Unions, CSOs, NGOs, Religious Organisations, Media Personnel, Traditional Leaders, Parents and even some Government Officials, are all advocating for a review. The review is to make the programme better.
The decision not to accept the call for a review and to sanction same because JM, like any well meaning stakeholder, has called for it is unaccountable, it cannot be justified by NADAA. It’s not about JM, its about the students, teachers, parents and Ghana at large. The students are suffering, teachers are struggling and parents are agonising. This is not right. The calls for a review are justified and long overdue.
In Solidarity,
Dr. Clement Apaak
M.P, Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member On Education Committee
