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Dr. Mahamudu Bawumiahas, the NPP’s vice president and presidential candidate, emphasized the importance of the Free Senior High School policy in closing the wealth and poverty gaps in society and accelerating Ghana’s progress.
Since the Akufo-Addo administration implemented the Free SHS policy in 2017, more than 5.7 million children have benefited from equal access to secondary school.
As part of his Ashanti Region campaign tour, Dr. Bawumia spoke on Saturday in the Asante Akyem Central Constituency. He stated that the NPP Government had to implement the Free SHS policy for two reasons: first, to provide secondary education to the poor and needy; and second, to raise Ghana’s literacy rate, which he said is essential to any nation’s development.
“Countries that have developed are those that have made educational advancements, if you look throughout the world. Dr. Bawumia informed Constituency stakeholders that nations with high educational attainment also tend to progress in their development.
“Economics and other fields of study have showed that if a country wants to develop quickly the rate of education must also go up. But many of our children could not afford senior high school education. Children of the rich could attend but many children of the poor could not attend.”
“It was a big problem and it was dragging the development of the country back because the children of the poor who could not afford secondary education were more than those who could afford. That was not good for the country’s development. That is why we said by the grace of God if we got elected, we would introduce free SHS.”
As President at the time, former President Mahama strongly opposed the NPP’s intention to implement the Free SHS policy, saying it was not feasible, as Dr. Bawumia also recounted.
When we expressed our desire to implement free SHS, former President Mahama objected, stating that it was not possible. “That was,” he said. “419.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
