Politicization of education system cause of WASSCE violence - Mahama

Former president John Dramani Mahama has attributed the current happenings at the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examination, WASSCE to the politicization of Ghana’s education system by the current administration.

While condemning the acts of violence by the students, Mr Mahama blamed their actions on government’s bid to claim ownership of the candidates as well as giving them false assurances of passing the examination with past questions.

He expressed disappointment about how the students have been tagged as ‘Akufo Addo’s graduates’.

“When you politicize our education system this is what you will see, the candidates are not anyone’s candidates, they are our candidates.

“When students completed under president Rawlings, they were not Rawlings candidates, when they completed under president Kufour, they were not Kufour’s candidates, when they completed under president Mills, they were not president Mills candidates, when they completed under Mahama, they were not Mahama’s candidates,” he added.

He made his comments at the Yaa Naa’s palace while introducing himself as the NDC candidate.

He noted that, a new NDC government would ensure that students are well prepared to pass their WASSCE as it did before during his tenure.

The government, he said has reduced the quality of Ghana’s education especially at the second cycle level.

He indicated that, with professor Jane Naana Opoku Agymang as vice President, the new NDC government would ensure that, the credibility and quality of second cycle institutions are irestored.

On Free Senior High School, the former President refuted claims by his opponents that the policy will be abolished when he comes to power.

He stated that, the free senior high school has come to stay and the next NDC government will only improve on it’s implementation as it’s currently being “poorly implemented”.

“Free senior high school has come to stay, anybody who tells you that when I come to office I will cancel it tell that person he is a bloody liar,” he said.

“What the next NDC government will only do is to improve on it’s implementation. We will ensure that, we put up more infrastructure to accommodate all the students and abolish the double track system so that they can all go to school at the same time,” he added.

He therefore entreated Ghanaians to vote him in the December elections to enable him improve upon their lives.