NDC Will Expand Access to Free SHS and Tackle Overcrowding in Schools – Prof. Alabi
By decentralising food procurement, the NDC plans to create more local jobs while improving student nutrition
- Headmasters and bursars will purchase food locally
- Addressing shortages in textbooks and other educational resources to improve learning outcomes and support teachers
- NDC plans to expand access, eliminate double-track systems
Professor Joshua Alabi, Campaign Manager for former President John Dramani Mahama, has unveiled the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s plan to decentralise school feeding grants. This initiative will empower headmasters and bursars to directly purchase food from local markets, fostering local economic growth while ensuring students get the nutrition they need.
Professor Alabi emphasized that decentralising the school feeding programme aligns with the 1992 Constitution and is not a new concept introduced by the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Reflecting on the past, Alabi reminded the public that it was the NDC under President Mahama that laid the foundation for the Free SHS policy, which gradually expanded with a focus on improving infrastructure.
He also recalled the E-Block project launched during Mahama’s tenure, designed to build more schools and address the challenges of expanding secondary education access.
However, the NDC’s progress was disrupted after the 2016 election loss. Despite this, Alabi reiterated that the Free SHS policy remains constitutionally mandated, but he criticized the NPP for rushing its implementation without proper planning, leading to problems such as overcrowding and the double-track system.
Prof. Alabi assured that the NDC’s proposed review of Free SHS would not cancel the programme. Instead, the focus would be on improving accessibility by completing E-Blocks, extending Free SHS to private schools, and addressing resource shortages like textbooks to enhance learning outcomes.
“We will reduce overcrowding, eliminate the double-track system, and ensure teachers are better supported, all to provide a higher quality of education,” Alabi stated.
He urged Ghanaians to vote for Mahama in 2024, promising a more refined and effective Free SHS programme that will ease pressure on public schools and improve education standards across the country.
