We’ll enact a law to ensure future governments cannot review Free SHS – Nana Addo

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The Free SHS policy was the flagship campaign message of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the 2016 elections and it was rolled out in September 2017.

However, the policy has encountered a number of challenges since being implemented, as the availability of space forced government to adopt a double-track system.

Also, issues have been raised with regards to funding, with some suggesting the government will not be able to sustain the programme in the coming years.

Former president John Mahama is also a strong critic of the way the Free SHS was implemented and is on record to have said he will review the Free SHS should the National Democratic Congress (NDC) return to power in 2020.

However, in what looked like a direct reply to the ex-president, Nana Addo said his government is working to ensure the policy cannot be reviewed in the future.

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“We are going to enact a legislation to make access to SHS compulsory for every school going child. This will ensure that those who have pledged in their dreams to ‘review the free SHS policy’ do not get the chance to destroy this policy in the very unlikely event that they return,” the President stated.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament disagrees with government’s plan to prevent future reviews to the Free SHS policy.

A Ranking member on education, Peter Norstu Kotoe, described the President’s comments as preposterous.

“There is no way in this country that you can make a law put an entrenched clause in it that nobody can amend the law. Since NPP came to power I can sight at least three enactments that they have amended. Is the president telling us that everything about the free SHS implementation is right? No there are a number of things that we have spoken about that government must review.

“So if you have failed to review those things and somebody says ‘if I come I will review those things in the best interest of the nation’ then you say they are dreaming I disagree with him,” Mr.  Norstu Kotoe criticized.