We now have dining halls under trees – Mahama bemoans quality of Free SHS

The flag bearer of the opposition NDC,  former President John Dramani Mahama has lamented the quality of education being offered under President Akufo-Addo’s flagship programme – the Free Senior High School Programme (Free SHS).

Mr Mahama believes the programme has the tendency to change lives when implemented well, adding that infrastructure deficit has negatively affected the policy.

Speaking during his visit to Tumu as part of his Building Ghana Tour, Mahama reiterated his commitment to reviewing the policy.

“I hear we now have dining halls under trees,” he bemoaned but was quick to assure that when voted to power, his government will consult with all stakeholders of the programme to see how to manage it better for a desirable outcome.

This is not the first time Manama has pledged that his administration will review the Free SHS policy.

He trumpeted it in the 2020 electioneering which received negative reactions from some some Ghanaians after the governing NPP said the NDC had planned to scrap the pro-poor policy.

On his recent tours of the country which commenced in the latter part of 2023, President Mahama has been consistent with his plans for the Free SHS.

He has consistently stated that his government will review the programme within the first 100 days of taking office when elected in the 2024 general elections.

“When we win power in 2024, we will have a forum to review the education sector, and we will invite teachers, parents, educationists and students and then we will review the free SHS policy,” Mahama pledged while addressing the chiefs and people of Agona Asafo in the Central Region last December.

He assured, “We will address issues that are not going well, like the feeding of students. The free SHS is a good policy but the government must put in place measures that will ensure that things are less expensive.”