Free SHS policy: Nana Addo overambitious - Yamin

The former Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Joseph Yamin has stated that the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is being over ambitious about the implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

The former Ashanti Regional Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), questioned the rationale behind the statement read by the President on the policy.

Speaking on Abusua FM’s Abusua Nkommo hosted by Kwame Adinkra, he envisioned the challenges Ghanaians will go through if the policy is implemented.

Mr Yamin suggested to the President to also make the basic level education free for pupils to ease the burden on parents.

The former deputy NADMO Coordinator anticipated that there will be pressure on public schools which has the tendency to collapse private SHSs.

He observed that the country lacks the basic infrastructure (classrooms) to house students doubting the feasibility of the policy.

‘Nana Addo’s speech writers will not be of help to him if he starts implementation of the policy. Ghana will go through difficulties if this policy is implemented. Our prayer is that he succeeds so that Ghanaians will not go through any hardships. We shouldn’t be in a rush to judge the president but give him the benefit of the doubts to sustain the policy. Free education is not something new to the country, former President Mahama started free education in 2015 for day students, the only difference is that students will not pay admission fees. There will be mad rush in public SHSs. The eminent collapse of the private sector by a government that believes in the private sector is ahead of us, because private SHSs are not part of the policy,’ he anticipated.

On his part, the Ashanti regional Director of Communications of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Kwasi Kyei believes the President will succeed in the implementation of the policy.

‘We are not going to mess up, we have planned this since 2008 during our campaign, we will set our priorities right. We can do it if we use State resources wisely and don’t mismanage the economy. Nana Addo will definitely succeed,’ he expressed hope.