Has Bawumia Changed His Mind On Free SHS Legislation? – Ato Forson

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has dismissed accusations that the Minority Group opposes a bill on the Free Senior High School policy.

This was after Majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin took on the NDC in Parliament, questioning their position on the flagship Free SHS bill they intend to lay before the House.

Dr. Forson dismissed these accusations pointing out that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia was the one who publicly expressed his opposition to a law regulating the Free SHS policy.

Dr. Forson made these remarks while addressing journalists in Parliament on June 26, 2024.

“In the last few days, my colleague, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin is on record to have accused the Minority of not supporting the Free Senior High School bill. Let me put on record that, there is no such bill before Parliament. We are hearing this from him for the first time that the government is considering a bill to be presented to Parliament called the Free Senior High School Bill.

But as we speak, there is no bill before parliament. It is important for us to reiterate, that we cannot oppose a bill that we have not seen, we cannot. And we have said it nowhere that we are going to oppose such a bill if eventually laid before the house,” he said.

The Minority Leader urged the NPP to rather hurry up and present the bill, stressing that they would at all times support any legislation.

“Our position is simple. The NDC Minority will, at all times, support any legislation that will seek to improve and sustain the Free Senior High School policy.

“In fact, if there is anybody in this country who is on record to have said that he does not believe in a free SHS law, it is rather the Vice President. The Vice President, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, is on record to have said that there is no need for a bill or a law to regulate the Free Senior High School Policy and not the NDC – He’s on record, he said, all you need is commitment.

So NDC, we are committed, we are committed to the Free Senior High School policy. We have obviously identified some lapses in the implementation,” he said.

The NPP government’s flagship free SHS policy introduced soon after it took office in 2017, had been fraught with various lapses and challenges such as lack of adequate classrooms, boarding facilities, teaching and learning resources and the shortage of food, which had taken a toll on academic activities in almost all senior high schools across the country, prompting calls on government for a review of the policy by parents, policy watchers, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.

From GNO News Desk