An outspoken critic of government and a leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has spurned the implementation of a double-track system under the Free Senior High School Policy introduced by the Nana Addo-led NPP government.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who is the General Secretary of the NDC is of the opinion that the kind of free education policy under President Akufo-Addo’s administration will jeopardize the future of Ghanaian children, adding that should the status quo remains, there will be no better future for the children of Ghana.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, the NDC Chief Scribe noted that school-children will be better off illiterate than to be subjected to the half-baked education being taught them under the double-track system.
“If we should allow things to pan out the way they are now at the education sector without changing certain policies, then they are being wicked to children by messing up their future. Because this half-baked education is worse than illiteracy. If the children go to school and they are being taught wrongly, then those who didn’t go to school at all are better off,” he stated.
Mr Asideu Nketia further alleged that a lot of the children who have been posted to Day schools have been left to fend for themselves as there are no facilities to accommodate them.
“ . . the costs that parents have to bear to rent a place of accommodation for their children is higher than the school fees that government has absorbed. That is what most of the parents are going through. Aside that, go and ask about teenage pregnancy,” he stated.
Mr. Asiedu Nketiah further revealed that as part of the NDC’s 2020 manifesto, the party has started a stakeholder consultation to inculcate private schools in their manifesto in order to immediately address the challenge of school placement and the double-track system as soon as the NDC wins power in 2020.
“These are things we will do immediately when we come to power. As soon as we regain power, we are doing a stakeholder consultation. In fact, we have started the stakeholder consultation to conclude this plan in our next manifesto with the private schools,” he revealed.
While condemning the attitude of President Akufo-Addo for failing to consult broadly before rolling-out the double-track policy, the NDC General Secretary lambasted the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh for insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians by accusing the opposition party of bussing people to the Independence Square to cause disaffection for the government during the recent chaos that characterized the school placement exercise.
“Democracy is about sharing of ideas and so you cannot say that since this policy is in my manifesto, I will do it at all cost without listening to anybody . . . when that happens, then we are gambling with the future of these young ones,” he stated.