Mahama is vindicated: Review of the limping free SHS program necessary

It is trite knowledge every Ghanaian agrees that this flagship free Senior High School (FSHS) program is needed, and the 1992 Constitution categorically captured it to be progressively free for all Ghanaians. The first President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah started it, which afforded many children to be educated.

In the Fourth Republic, former President John Dramani Mahama took pragmatic steps to roll out progressively FSHS by building more E-Blocks and targeting more Day-schools as beneficiaries of the program way back in 2015. This progressively free SHS approach is highly practical and sustainable as more educational infrastructure and financial resources are needed to accommodate increasing numbers of students in schools.

As a campaign promise to Ghanaians, the governing NPP regime led by Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia wanted to keep their promise of FSHS program, which has been poorly implemented it without properly thought-out policy to make this laudable policy sustainable and churn out quality graduates in the end.

The rushed way the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led regime has implemented the FSHS program has marred the rather good policy intervention to have every Ghanaian educated.

It is not surprising to find that the flagship FSHS program of this NPP is saddled with so many avoidable problems. The clarion call by the NDC’s Flagbearer for the 2024 general elections made in 2020 and now to REVIEW the struggling FSHS Program is highly appropriate and timely, considering the poor implementation so far and wholesale approach to dealing with the program.

It therefore beats my imagination to hear the NPP misconstrue Mahama’s REVIEW proposal of the FSHS to mean CANCELLATION of the program by the next NDC government. This deliberate propagandist approach of the NPP was used to spread this misinformation and disinformation to unexpecting electorate in the 2020 general elections. This same misinformed approach is being used in 2024 for the same purpose in 2020, which I find disingenuous and badly exposed now.

Former President Mahama has been finally vindicated in the end in terms of his patriotic call to REVIEW this limping FSHS program which has been implemented with associated bottlenecks for the past 8 years under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government. The REVIEW of the FSHS program is even long overdue as every project can be evaluated in terms of its impact within at least 3 years. The governing NPP government is being dishonest with Ghanaians by covering up the challenges of this good social intervention program.

Here is a list of itemized main reasons why I support the FSHS Program to be REVIEWED as proposed by former President Mahama and other well-meaning Ghanaians for purposes of sustainability of the Program as well as churning out quality graduates for tertiary institutions and the world of work after the Secondary education experience.

 Lack of adequate food stuff for the students in SHS nationwide: The ongoing ‘Expired Rice’ scandal is a classic example for feeding the students with unwholesome meals coupled with general food shortages in secondary schools due to unreliable supply of food, debts owed to food suppliers, etc.

 Quality of education compromised: The quality of graduates produced each year through the FSHS program is concerning due to the expensive and uncomfortable double track for both students and parents. General teaching and learning are negatively affecting students in a long round.

 Blanket application of FSHS program: Considering the financial inadequacies of Ghana, a wholesale roll out of the program is unsustainable. As a social intervention program, the needs-based approach should have been used for better targeting of less privileged families or households and students.

 Infrastructural deficit: The deliberate abandonment of many Mahama’s E-blocks by this current NPP government to rot has forced the regime to haphazardly implement the double track which is anticipated to be faced out completely in 2025. Why the unholy haste to poorly implement this good social policy?

In conclusion, the above stated main challenges of the badly implemented FSHS program can be better addressed if this laudable social intervention program (FSHS) goes through comprehensive REVIEW! Former President Mahama’s calls for a comprehensive REVIEW of the FSHS program in the next NDC government from 2025 is timely and that will make the FSHS program more sustainable.

The strong track record of Mahama says it all in terms of many developmental projects commenced and completed during his first term in office till 2016. The visionary, experienced and honest Mahama is the choice together with his able Running Mate, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang to get Ghana out of the mess that she finds herself in now. Change is necessary!