Government to introduce ‘free SHS’ in 2015/2016 academic year

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Created on Tuesday, 25 March 2014 00:00

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Government to introduce ‘free SHS’

President John Mahama has announced the abolishing of fees in Day Senior High Schools by 2015/1016 academic year.

The measure, he said is in accordance with his government’s plan to progressively introduce free senior high education in the country. He was delivering his second State of the Nation Address to Parliament Tuesday.

The address was initially scheduled to be delivered last Thursday but was postponed to today. The announcement of the plans to abolish fees at senior high schools attracted loud cheers and jeers in equal measure from both sides of the House.

Minority Members of the House jeered while the Majority side cheered the president on. Free SHS was the signature campaign promise of the Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the 2012 presidential election.

The promise was viscerally attacked by the governing National Democratic Congress as unrealistic and deceptive and designed to win votes. The President in response to the NPP’s campaign said he would build 200 community-based day senior high schools and improve access to secondary education.

After that, he promised, government would make secondary school education progressively free.

Addressing Parliament Tuesday, February 25, 2014, the President said the Ministry of Education had “prepared a roadmap for the progressive introduction of free secondary education in Ghana as required by constitution.”

Touching on the promise to build 200 day schools (50 every year starting from 2013), Mr. Mahama said the project on track even it has been delayed for a year.

Source: Myjoyonline.com