Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is accusing the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of playing politics with the implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
Bernard Allotey Jacobs alleged that, government ahead of the 2020 general elections is creating an impression that they are against the educational policy intended to create a literate society.
The Free SHS programme is a flagship intervention by the government to widen the gates of opportunities to every child, especially those whose talents are arrested because of poverty.
Under the Policy, all cost barriers to education has been absorbed by the Government. It would improve quality of education, address equity issues associated with education in the country and, importantly, ensure that every child acquires employable skills by the time they leave school.
The Free SHS Policy launched by President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday September 12, 2017 at the West African SHS in Accra, will also cover pupils who gain admission to technical, vocational and agricultural institutions.
But the opposition NDC which vehemently opposed the policy during the 2016 electioneering campaign seem to have changed their position only to caution government to ensure there is adequate funding for the programme.
This change in position, some NPP supporters say is borne out of hypocrisy and double standards and urged Ghanaians to call the NDC’s bluff.
In a rebuttal, Allotey Jacobs on Accra-based Peace FM’s morning show, Kokrooko Wednesday said they never opposed the free SHS policy.
Rather, he explained they were only advocating for quality and access for the effective implementation of the policy.
However, Allotey Jacbos was incensed about what he claims is a subtle move by the NPP to incite the beneficiaries against the NDC.
“NPP is creating the impression that we are against free SHS for votes because these children as first time voters will vote massively for them in 2020” he bemoaned.
The NDC Chairman cited how the erstwhile Mahama administration as a visionary government built a lot of schools across the country to improve access thus they made the free SHS implementation possible.
Allotey Jacobs called on government to as a matter of urgency give the NDC credit for building the foundation for free SHS.