NPP Would Never Have Dreamt of Free SHS Without NDC ― Betty Mould

Former Attorney General and Minister of Education for the Erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC), Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has attributed the implementation of the National Patriotic Party’s (NPP)―Free Senior High School policy to reasonable infrastructural development undertaken by her party.

According to her, the NDC had left behind a legacy for the NPP to fall on―making it quite easy for them (NPP)to trumpet a policy like the Free SHS which they (NPP) had never planned for.

“I can assure you if the NDC had not put in those measures towards the progressively free education, that we saw over the years; almost near eradication of the classrooms under trees; E-blocks; the reemphasis on science and maths; retooling of teachers and students, building of teachers’ administration blocks…

“I’m telling you that, they would never have been able to even dream of going down this line of free Senior High School,” the former attorney general noted.

Speaking on the Radio Gold’s Power Drive, on Tuesday, Madam Mould Idrrisu said, the NPP was behaving as though they were the only political party with a solution to Ghana’s problems.

According to her, many would believe the NPP until they begin to trip over themselves― “making the most obvious mistakes and being absolutely unable to coherently carry out things that they themselves have trumpeted.”

Being a former education minister, Madam Iddrisu said, she understands the challenges of the Ministry of Education but added that the NPP administration had taken a wrong turn in addressing those challenges.

“Deprivation in terms of education is not about being NDC or social a democrat. It is about being a realist. Nana Addo Dankwa articulates that free education is possible for Africa. Why hasn’t it been done all over Africa…because it is not only the education of going to sit or lie down in the classroom…it is the quality of the education that we actually receive.”

She continued: “It is still extremely problematic and this year, things are going to catch up with them…they couldn’t even do it for the first years. This year is going to be form one, form two…that is an awful lot of students.

“Students are already camping out, students already sleeping in places where they shouldn’t… it’s an enormous undertaking and I wish them well because of our student; because they are our future.”

Madam Iddrisu’s submission follows President Nana Akufo-Addo’s delivery at the Third International Global Partnership for Education Conference held in Dakar, Senegal where he said his free SHS policy had increased enrolment into SHS by 90,000.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]