President Mills started free SHS – NDC’s Yamoah Ponkoh

The debate about who started the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy has taken a never-heard-before twist, as former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ejisu-Juaben, Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh has credited it to the late former president J.E.A Mills, MyNewsGh.com.

Though functionaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) say the ruling government cannot take full credit for initiating and implementing the policy, this is the first time the late former president has been mentioned in the Free SHS discourse as the originator.

In an interview with Accra-based Okay FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com, he said the policy “if it would be looked at critically”, was started by the late president, but would not give details to substantiate his claim.

He says the current administration cannot take full credit for the policy and has questioned the mode of implementation of the policy.

Welcoming the wholesale benefit for all SHS students in the country now, he said the way it is being implemented leaves much to be desired, that it is putting more burdens on parents that what pertained before the introduction of the policy, since extra classes, according to him ‘has become mandatory”.

He said the current form has collapsed the basic school system and giving hell to teachers and school heads, who become targets for persecution whenever they complain.