NDC Will Review and Make Free SHS Better – Agbodza

Minority Chief Whip in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza has debunked the assertion by the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is opposed to the enactment of a law to give legal backing to the Free Senior High School (SHS) education policy. He insists that the NDC is in full support of any law or effort that is aimed at making the Free SHS programme better and sustainable.

The proposed Bill which has already received cabinet approval aims to regulate the Free SHS policy by making it mandatory for future governments to safeguard its implementation. It is expected to be introduced to the Ghanaian legislature in the coming days by the minister responsible for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.

Kwame Agbodza noted that the NDC is dedicated to a review process of the policy to make it more sustainable as consistently espoused by the Flagbearer of the party – John Dramani Mahama.

“People are concerned about cost of living, corruption, bad infrastructure, state capture, nepotism, abuse of power. Let it be stated that the NDC will support any legislation or effort aimed at making the Free SHS programme better and sustainable.

“We are solidly behind the plans of our flag bearer John Mahama to have free SHS reviewed properly and also include private schools. The NDC government is credited for free education anchored in the 1992 constitution. We certainly cannot be against it. Of course, the state of our education is a concern for all Ghanaians. Low model of teachers, lack of investment, schools under trees back. Spending millions of past equations etc. It’s a priority for the next government to fix the bad state of education,” he told TV3’s Parliamentary correspondent Komla Kluste in Parliament on Tuesday, June 25.

Addressing journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, June 25, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin had accused the opposition legislators of failing to commit to the free SHS Bill.

“We have heard the ranking member on education, the honorable member for Akatsi North, strongly opposing the free SHS bill. Clearly, the NDC minority does not want to commit itself to free SHS, and the fact that we want to enact a law to make it mandatory.

“We have stated time without number that those provisions in the constitution that talk about free SHS are very aspirational, they are aspirational provisions so the way to go is to enact a law to regulate the free SHS policy which is currently in operation.

“The ND is opposed to this and they have spoken through their ranking member. we want them to tell Ghanaians whether free SHS is not their priority as a responsible opposition.

“The Ministry of Education is going to ferry the bill through to Parliament, we are ready and that is what as part of the engagement process we engage them but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the free SHS bill, it is clear their spokesperson on education has been very loud. The last time I tried to tease the matter on the floor he avoided a response, he stayed clear of it and was not ready to commit himself. So we know that in parliament the caucus speaks through its spokesperson and he is the ranking member on education, he is the  NDC spokesperson on education, and he says he is opposed to the free SHS bill because there is some provision in the constitution, they should tell us why they are opposed to the bill,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has already given executive approval of the bill.

Two weeks ago, the Majority Leader said the chapter of the Constitution that provided for free education had aspirational initiatives, which were not justiciable.

Buttressing the essence of enacting a law on the free SHS programme, Mr Afenyo-Markin said there were provisions in the Constitution that could not be enforced and “you cannot claim the right to those provisions”.

He explained that the fact that those provisions existed did not mean that “you can apply to the court to enforce those rights as they are merely aspirational.”

“Now, when it gets to the point where a government lifts it to give life to it, there is the need to enact a law to regulate same. In doing so, it would have been given life to become justiciable to allow a court to rely on it to make orders, enforce certain rights and take certain actions,” he explained.

He, therefore, expressed the hope for the House to pass the bill which would make the free SHS policy enforceable, regardless of the government in power.

Speaking in parliament on Friday, June 21 on the business statement for the ensuing week, the Effutu MP said; “We have some very important bills, the affirmative action bill, the national service authority bill, we also have the all-important free SHS bill which has received executive approval and it’s on its way to this house. I want to urge colleagues that we are in this together,” he noted.

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh