In keeping with their relentless agenda to downplay the implementation of President Akufo-Addo’s Free SHS programme as that appears to be an Achilles’ heel of the opposition party, an aide to the flag-bearer of the NDC, Joyce Bawa Mogtari has opined that the policy is replete with cracks and enormous potholes.
She goes on to say that the double-track system has resulted in outcomes which are not healthy. She also cites lack of teaching and learning materials, inadequate number of teachers and infrastructure as the major inhibitions to the Free SHS policy.
Joyce Bawa Mogtari also says that the introduction of the Free SHS policy has resulted in a low literacy rate, and this she says, is based on research conducted.
The Mahama aide engaged in peddling falsehoods for reasons quite obvious for all and sundry. Let us test what she said by subjecting them to critical scrutiny.
They continue their fixation on the double-track system without a commensurate yet practical and systematic projection aimed at doing away with it. All they talk about is building more schools or infrastructure in three months to eliminate the challenge.
The NDC was given eight years to rule. They promised to build 200 schools(E-Blocks) but ended up building just 27 of them. The NPP, in less than three years, has completed 29 of the E-Blocks. This three-month promise of building schools to eliminate double-track is practically impossible. Where would the money come from to do this?
The Akufo-Addo administration, since the introduction of the Free SHS programme, has constructed over 800 blocks for different purposes in our senior high schools, and this is helping to eliminate the double-track system. It will phase out in no time.
Her claim of lack of teaching and learning materials defies logic. Even chalks were scarce under their tenure, a phenomenon that led to Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur telling the head of a school that they would not give them chalk today or tomorrow. Common chalks were difficult to come by under Mahama, so Joyce should not be talking about these resources. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is doing exceptionally well in providing resources to schools. A few days ago, he started providing furniture for schools which lack them.
For the information of Joyce Bawa and her group, this government has employed almost 70,000 teachers and non-teaching staff. Where from inadequate teachers to teach in these schools?
It would have served a very useful purpose if Joyce Bawa Mogtari had shared with us the source of her claim that the literacy rate in the country is falling. Such a blanket statement should not come from someone the calibre of Joyce Bawa Mogtari.
The Free SHS policy remains a nightmare to the NDC, hence these constantly unending attacks of the programme by the NDC whenever they get the opportunity to speak on television and radio.
These anti-Free SHS sentiments should be nipped in the bud by political actors, but it would appear that the NDC will never heed to this call. Joyce Bawa betrayed her knowledge on the topics she treated in her interview with Class FM.
BY: P.K. Sarpong, Whispers from the Corridors of the Thinking Place
