Former President and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer hopeful Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed concerns over the poor quality of food being served in various Senior High Schools in the country. Speaking at a party gathering in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa Constituency, in the Central Region on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Mr Mahama criticized the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, stating that the quality of food being served to students was poor, leaving them malnourished.
Mr Mahama also expressed concern over the lack of adequate space for students, resulting in overcrowded dormitories and an infestation of bedbugs. He proposed a national discussion involving various stakeholders and experts to share ideas on how to improve the programme, but he claims that the Akufo-Addo government declined his suggestion, leading to the challenges faced by students in the Senior High Schools today.
The former President opined that the Free SHS programme has caused more harm than good to students and promised that if elected President, he would ensure the feeding system under the Free SHS would be decentralized to guarantee quality food for students. He further criticized the current government’s management of the education sector and stated that there was a need for a new government to introduce reforms to get the education sector back on track.
The Free SHS programme was launched in September 2017 by the Akufo-Addo government to provide free education to all Ghanaian students at the Senior High School level. The programme has been lauded for increasing access to education, but critics have raised concerns about the quality of education and the implementation of the programme.
Mr. Mahama’s comments highlight the need for the government to address the challenges facing the Free SHS programme and ensure that students receive quality education and proper nutrition. Education is crucial for the development of any country, and the government must ensure that the education sector is adequately funded and managed to achieve its objectives.
