Back Free SHS policy with legislative instrument - Keskin Owusu-Poku to government

The Executive Director of the Center-right think tank, Liberal Institute for Policy Studies (LIPS), Dr Keskin Owusu-Poku has called on the government to back the free Senior High School policy with a legislative instrument to prevent subsequent administrations from scrapping the policy

Dr. Keskin observed that it will be in the interest of the Akufo Addo-led government to introduce a law that will stop any unnecessary review of the policy.

He noted that the free SHS intervention is by far the best educational policy by any government in Ghana's history adding that, the policy has to be protected at any cost

Dr Keskin Owusu-Poku said this when the Ashanti Regional youth wing of the NPP engaged some beneficiaries of the free SHS policy at Longford Event Centre on Monday, May 6, 2024.

Led by the Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party NPP, Rafael Sarfo Patrick, the event was to encourage all first-time voters and free SHS beneficiaries to take part in the Electoral Commission of Ghana EC's voter registration scheduled to commence on Tuesday, May 6, 2024.

Speaking to OTEC News Reporter Jacob Agyenim Boateng at the sidelines of the program, Dr Keskin Owusu-Poku congratulated President Akufo-Addo and his Vice Dr Mahamadu Bawumia for their achievements and fulfillment of his major campaign promise (Free SHS Policy).

He however cautioned Ghanaians over voting for the opposition National Democratic Congress NDC adding that, the policy may suffer a huge setback in the unlikely event the party wins power in the 2024 polls

About Free SHS Policy

The Free SHS policy was a flagship campaign promised by the then Akufo-Addo campaign ahead of the 7th December 2016 general elections.

President Akufo-Addo upon assumption of office in 2017 introduced wholesale Free Senior High School for all secondary school children public schools.

The programme started with first-year students in all public SHSs and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions across the country.

The policy absorbs all approved fees that were charged before 2017/2018 in public SHS and TVET Institutions.