We Didn’t Wait 20 Years to celebrate Free SHS

by Mohammed Amin · November 23, 2024

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Dennis Appiah Larbi-Ampofo, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) manifesto committee for education, has delivered a spirited defense of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy while criticizing the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for their earlier doubts about its feasibility.

In a statement titled “We Didn’t Wait 20 Years!”, Larbi-Ampofo recalled a 2012 press conference held by the then-Minister for Education, Lee Ocran, under the presidency of John Mahama. According to Larbi-Ampofo, Ocran had dismissed the possibility of implementing Free SHS before 2032, arguing that such an initiative would take 20 years to materialize. He quoted Ocran as saying, “If Free Education was easy, Kwame Nkrumah would have been the first to do it.”

Larbi-Ampofo highlighted how the NPP, led by Nana Akufo-Addo, countered this claim with a promise to deliver Free SHS without delay. “When Ghanaians gave us the mandate, it took us nine months—less than a year—to implement Free SHS,” he stated, emphasizing that the policy has significantly increased enrollment from 800,000 to 1.48 million students while improving performance outcomes from under 30% to over 66%.

He also pointed to other educational reforms spearheaded by the NPP, including making Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) free, expanding school infrastructure, and promoting STEM education. Larbi-Ampofo noted the establishment of mega STEM schools, such as Bosomtwe Girls STEM, where students now learn robotics and other advanced subjects.

Addressing critics, Larbi-Ampofo argued that the success of Free SHS justifies its celebration despite challenges. “Let no one belittle what we have achieved as a country,” he said. “When they said 20 years, we didn’t wait 20 years. We delivered Free SHS and are now distributing free tablets to students to phase out textbooks in secondary schools.”

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He concluded with a direct message to skeptics: “If anyone thinks this country doesn’t deserve to celebrate Free SHS because of the challenges, then they should buckle up because we will celebrate it till casket.”

Larbi-Ampofo’s remarks are part of ongoing debates between the NPP and the NDC over the sustainability and impact of the Free SHS policy, a flagship initiative of the Akufo-Addo administration.

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