The Minority caucus has clarified its position on the Free Senior High School (SHS) bill, emphasizing that they do not oppose the initiative but are instead calling on the government to address existing challenges within the educational sector.
This clarification follows accusations from Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who claimed the Minority caucus was against the proposed bill aimed at regulating the Free SHS intervention and making it mandatory for future governments to sustain the policy. Afenyo-Markin noted that the bill had received executive approval and would be introduced in Parliament by Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, Afenyo-Markin demanded that the Minority explain their opposition to the bill.
However, in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak, stated that while the bill had not yet been laid before the house, the Minority had expressed their commitment to it.
Dr. Apaak criticized the Majority and the government for not focusing on resolving educational sector challenges and instead spreading misinformation.
“We in the NDC have never been opposed to the Free SHS policy…So I fail to understand why the NPP and now the Majority Leader are trying to revive the stale, dead and rejected propaganda message used against the NDC that we are opposed to the policy and that should Ghanaians give us the opportunity, we will cancel the policy,” he said.
“We have not said that anywhere, any day or anytime. The Majority Leader was the person who informed Ghanaians through the parliamentary press corps on the 11th of June 2024 that the government was going to bring to Parliament a policy on the Free SHS policy with the intention of ensuring that future governments abide by the policy and implement it accordingly.”
He added, “We are yet to even see the bill to examine its content. So for the Majority Leader to try and suggest that because our ranking member made a statement to the effect that it wasn’t necessary to have the bill that then translates to our side rejecting the bill is unfounded, totally unfounded in fact it is a blatant lie.”
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