Since I've spent more money on free SHS than I did under Mahama, I'll vote for the NDC.

A lady in her early 50s, whose children are among the thousands who benefit from Ghana's Free Senior High School (SHS) program, expressed her worries about the financial burden she feels in spite of the "free" effort in the busy streets of Accra, Ghana. She discussed her personal experience with the Free SHS program under the present administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in an interview with Adom TV, which is the reason she plans to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming election.

After initially endorsing the present government's pledge to alleviate parental financial strains through Free SHS, the mother suddenly finds herself spending more money on schooling than ever before. The promise of "free" education hasn't lived up to her expectations, she said, drawing a comparison between the costs she paid for her kids under previous President John Mahama and her present costs under the Free SHS system.

"I'll cast my ballot for John Mahama. She expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, "I, along with all four of my children and my elders, will all vote for John Mahama." Although it is unlikely that John Mahama's administration will provide us with anything, goods were reasonably priced while it was in office. Compared to John Mahama's time, I spent more money on Free SHS. The cost of the Free SHS uniform alone is GH¢500, and I also purchased bags and other items. I spent over GH¢2,500 on Free SHS after everything.

According to the mom, her last child had good educational circumstances during Mahama's administration, and the meals were filling and substantial. "When my son went to SHS during Mahama's time, I prepared shito for him, but he told me not to prepare food because they gave them good food every day," she recalled. On the other hand, she now frequently has to purchase groceries for her granddaughter, who frequently laments the subpar food provided by the Free SHS system.

She added to her complaints by emphasizing the need to cover more classes during long vacations. "If Akufo-Addo knew he couldn’t handle Free SHS, he should have let us pay our own school fees than to pay huge vacation class fees whenever they come home," she said.

In the next elections in Ghana, many families' decisions will surely be influenced by this Ghanaian mother's voice of dissatisfaction and contemplation on the real costs of "free" education as she goes to the polls.

Source: Adom TV