Haruna Iddrisu slams Bawumia over Free SHS comment, says policy is on course

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has hit back at former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over claims that Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme is suffering under the current government.

Mr Iddrisu, speaking at the opening of a stakeholder engagement on the implementation of the new Free SHS policy at Adukrom, dismissed the claim and challenged the NPP flagbearer to “come again,” insisting that the Mahama administration has reviewed the programme and taken steps to address challenges affecting its implementation.

Dr Bawumia, speaking at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference in Kumasi over the weekend, criticised the state of the Free SHS programme since the NDC government assumed office in January 2025.

In response, Haruna said some of the challenges associated with Free SHS predated the current administration and required government intervention.

“Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia must come again when he says that the Free Senior High School is suffering. Maybe to remind him that it was suffering under him and that required us as a government to review the implementation of the Free Senior High School,” he said.

The Education Minister also rejected claims that students are not being adequately fed, saying the government has taken steps to improve food supplies in senior high schools.

“Also attributable to him was that he says the students have no meals. That is economically begging the truth,” Haruna said.

“President John Dramani Mahama has reviewed the Free Senior High School and its funding mechanism for feeding. With the uncapping of the GET fund, adequate food supplies have been made available to all senior high schools across the country.”

He maintained that the improvement in food supplies is something that parents and students can independently verify.

“These are matters anybody, including parents and students, can verify based on evidence available,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu also took issue with Dr. Bawumia’s claim that tuition was free under the previous NPP administration.

“When Dr. Bawumia said that tuition was free under the new patriotic party, that is also begging the issue,” he said.

“Throughout history and since independence, tuition has remained free at all levels of education in Ghana. That is fact and that is evidence.”

His comments come amid renewed political debate over the performance and sustainability of the Free SHS programme, which was introduced by the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government in 2017 as a flagship education policy.

The programme provides free tuition and other related support to eligible students in public senior high schools.

Under the current NDC administration, the government has maintained the policy while promising to address challenges surrounding funding, feeding and implementation.