The President, John Mahama has told the people of Okere in the Eastern Region that the free Senior High School policy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will collapse Ghana’s SHS education system.
According to him, the free SHS system will eventually come to Ghana but “it will come with sense and planning. It won’t come because a politician wants to be elected President.”
Citing examples to buttress his argument, President Mahama mentioned that the system is being practiced in Kenya but is failing due to inadequate funds to support the system.
Addressing the people of Okere on Thursday, he said: “if you rush to do something in life, you will not succeed. In Africa, there are two countries which have started this free Senior High School; Kenya and Uganda. But now, Kenya has launched an appeal for international assistance to help them with the free SHS idea because they can’t pay for it.”
He added that there were serious infrastructural constraints, poor teacher to student ratio and a booming student population that needed to be considered. The option of free SHS, in his opinion, therefore meant an imminent collapse of the system.
“If they had thought about it, they would have used the funds which were pumped into the establishment of the free SHS to expanding their infrastructure.”
The National Democratic Congress’ Presidential candidate also promised major infrastructural development on polytechnic campuses when he visited the Koforidua Polytechnic on Thursday.