National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, September 7, 2020 gave highlights of their manifesto. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang stated that a future NDC administration will make the free SHS better and more inclusive.
“The next NDC Government will: make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced b.expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas c. abolish the double-track system,” she said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will expand the reach of the Free Senior High School programme if it secures victory in the upcoming general elections.
The flagbearer’s running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang revealed that the second-cycle schools in the private sector also need to be roped into the national initiative.
The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast made these comments at the launch of the party’s ahead of the 2020 polls themed dubbed; ‘People’s Manifesto: Jobs, Prosperity and more.’
“We plan to make the Free SHS more inclusive by expanding it to cover students in private senior high schools in under-served and deprived parts of the country,” she said on Monday.
The programme has been a flagship policy of the current NPP administration which has substancially increased enrollment in senior high schools.
Former President John Mahama has publicly communicated his commitment to review the police if given the nod in the polls.
The NPP has also interpreted the said review to mean an outright cancellation, a development the NDC has vehemently fought off.
But Prof Opoku-Agyemang says the party will broaden the scope for students of private schools, especially around hard-to-reach communities.
Speaking at the University of Professional Studies in Accra, the former Education Minister also indicated that the government will absorb 50% of the fees of students in tertiary students across the country.