Dr. Apaak exposes NPP over inflated number of Free SHS beneficiaries

Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, MP/PC, Builsa South Constituency, Deputy Ranking Member on Education Committee, and the NDC Manifesto Spokesperson on Education, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of exaggerating the number of beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.

According to Dr. Apaak, the NPP’s claim of over 5 million beneficiaries from 2017-2024 is inaccurate, as the total number of students who wrote the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) within the same period is less than 5 million.

Dr. Apaak pointed out that Fact-Check Ghana revealed the actual FSHS enrollment from 2017-2024 to be 3.1 million. He emphasized that John Dramani Mahama initiated the FSHS policy in 2015 and has consistently supported it. Dr. Apaak questioned how Mahama would oppose a policy he started.

“John Dramani Mahama and the NDC, unlike Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP, will not inflate FSHS enrollment figures by over 2.5 million to feign success. And neither will students in our secondary schools be fed unwholesome food under John Dramani Mahama,” Dr. Apaak stated.

Dr. Apaak highlighted John Dramani Mahama’s key proposals to enhance the FSHS policy, focusing on abolishing the double-track system, securing dedicated funding through oil proceeds for quality education, decentralizing food procurement, extending FSHS to private schools, and reforming education curricula.

“The next John Dramani Mahama NDC Government will abolish the obnoxious double-track system to restore a stable academic calendar; provide a dedicated and sustainable funding source for quality secondary education and decentralize the procurement of food and other basic supplies,” Dr. Apaak emphasized.