Last week, we heard the current President of Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana blurt out; “All hail free education”!

According to the President and his followers, education is now freeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Phew!!!

Is education really free in Ghana?

Nana Akufo-Addo and his people must be thinking that we have so soon forgotten the exact promises they made on the campaign trail when they were making all kinds of ugly noises and promising to give Ghanaians “FREE EDUCATION UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL”.

I have been combing through the 2016 Manifesto of the NPP and precisely in CHAPTER 9, which deals with the policy on EDUCATION, the NPP stated categorically that they will provide “FREE EDUCATION UP TO SENIOR HIGH”.

On page 104 of the Manifesto, inter alia,

“The NPP believes that all the hopes of Ghanaians for a bright future will come to naught unless the country is able to resolve its education crisis. That is why the NPP declares Education to be a MAJOR PRIORITY and commits itself to a BOLD, CREATIVE and VISIONARY and ALL-EMBRACING PROGRAM for the TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION IN GHANA. The core elements of the Program shall be a free education for Ghanaian children UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (caps mine) to ease the burden on parents and guardians while encouraging them to assume their responsibility for the social upbringing and parental control of their children”.

In simple and plain language, the NPP promised to give us free education from kindergarten UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

Indeed, when the President recently appeared at a Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony at the Okuapamen Senior High School, he reiterated the point that education was going to be FREE from kindergarten UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

In no time; and knowing that it CANNOT give free education from kindergarten up to senior high school, the NPP used its media machinery to hide the manifesto pledge of FREE EDUCATION UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, and kept drowning our eardrums with FREE SHS; FREE SHS; FREE SHS.

Realizing that even the FREE SHS is not financially feasible, the NPP now decided to drown our eardrums with FREE SHS FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS.

So, I ask; where is the FREE EDUCATION UP TO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, that the NPP loudly trumpeted on every rooftop and on every mountain top?

Does the NPP think that its media propaganda that FREE EDUCATION has started, is what will make education free in Ghana?

Even with the first year students; is their education really free?

Are parents still not buying; trunks, chop box, sandals, uniforms, cutlass, hoes, brooms, toiletries, mattress, blankets, bedsheets, church cloths, etc? Wherein lies the free education?

So just because government is absorbing tuition and feeding fees, that is enough to be trumpeting free education to the high heavens and claiming victory where there is no victory?

Besides, is this the first time that a government has absorbed feeding and tuition fees? Certainly not!!!

It is crystal clear that the NPP; which is a RIGHT WING party, has run into a cul-de-sac with its capitalist ideas and so is engaging in populist rhetoric to score very fleeting and cheap political points.

The NPP is trying too hard to be more SOCIALIST than the SOCIALIST NDC, and the result is that the NPP is making a mockery of itself by engaging in Utopian Socialism.

Even hard-core Marxist Socialist do not believe in Utopian Socialism so it is no wonder that the NPP is running itself into a world of MOCKERY by its dreamy attempt to create an IDEAL WORLD OF FREE EDUCATION.

When capitalists try to outrun socialists via socialist-oriented policies, it becomes akin to the case of “the invited guest crying more than the bereaved”.

Political parties all over the world, are driven by Ideologies and are inspired by a cluster of principles and philosophies.

The NPP has NEVER believed in any form of SOCIAL DEMOCRACY so it is amazing how they are in a hurry to implement Socialist oriented policies.

The NPP is very much aware that when it comes to the area of EDUCATION; the NDC has an unparalleled and impeccable record.

From President Rawlings, through President Atta Mills, to President Mahama, the NDC’s outstanding record in the education sector CANNOT AND CAN NEVER be matched by the NPP.

It is this knowledge that the NPP CANNOT match the Education Sector record of the NDC, that is forcing the NPP to engage in this kamikaze FREE EDUCATION which has no HEAD nor TAIL.

I have had personal engagements with lots of School Heads who are deeply concerned about the rush to implement a policy that has no HEAD nor TAIL.

What is all this NONSENSE about Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), not being allowed to pay dues? Ahba!!!

Are PTAs not voluntary associations? Since when did it become a crime for Voluntary Associations to pay dues?

The NPP has found itself in a deep mess because as part of its campaign of noise-making and empty propaganda, they promised to absorb all PTA dues as part of their FREE EDUCATION pledge.

Alive now to the fact that it was a foolish pledge to attempt to absorb PTA dues; but still wanting parents to believe that PTA dues are no more; School authorities are being denied the RIGHT to get parents to pay a TOKEN for the upkeep of their children/wards.

Since when did it become a crime for responsible parents to contribute a TOKEN for the upkeep and wellbeing of their children/wards in schools?

Since “19 kojo hoho”, have parents not been contributing to build, classrooms, dormitories, toilets, staff accommodation, etc?

Have parents not be contributing to provide, furniture, water, and other amenities?

So what is all this nonsensical hocus-pocus populist policy of denying PTAs the RIGHT to collect dues?

So, is Akufo-Addo telling us that if for example, the manhole of a Girls Dormitory in Tanyigbe SHS gets full, the headmistress should write to Ghana Education Service (GES), to release funds for the excreta in the manhole to be cleared?

Is Akufo-Addo telling us that if the Girls Dormitory in Anyako SHS has no mosquito nets, the Headmistress cannot ask parents to help replace the nets; and must only wait for the GES to release funds for that to be done?

What kind of barbaric draconian policy is this?

Enjoyment gallore; President Akuffo-Addo & his associates are having fun whiles Ghana’s education system is collapsing. 

Are we in a democracy or we are now in a civilian dictatorship?

So if parents can afford to help schools with medical supplies, they should not do so and watch their wards get ill?

At this rate, it will not be long before the NPP tells us not to pay tithes in churches because the government will absorb and pay all the tithes on behalf of church members.

When policies are not well thought out; this the kind of MADNESS that arises.

Once again, I repeat that when CAPITALISTS want to be more SOCIALIST than SOCIALISTS, the end result SHALL be nothing than CHAOS and ANARCHY.

It is a matter of fact that, only 20% of funds have been released to Schools.

How are the schools expected to operate at 100% capacity when only 20% of funds have been released?

And when Parents want to support, the School Heads are referred to as “Thieves and Extortionists”? Nonsense!!!

Now, parents are being compelled to rent hostels for their 12,13,14-year-old children/wards because of a populist Free Education policy which has put a cap on the number of students that can be admitted into boarding houses.

So who is going to look after the 12,13,14-year-olds in the hostels?

Is this not a clear recipe for disaster? What kind of nonsensical FREE EDUCATION policy is this?

Instead of giving our 12,13,14-year-olds quality education under the protection and eagle eyes of School Heads, Akufo-Addo and his NPP are now leaving our kids at the mercy of self-management and self-survival.

Even under the eagle eyes of School Authorities in boarding schools, we know how some kids run riot and go astray.

So if we now leave our kids to manage themselves, is it not clear that we are going to have many more cases of waywardness?

Is the NPP promoting FREE EDUCATION or FREE WAYWARDNESS?

I rest my case for now and will surely be back on this issue many more times under the Shade-giving Umbrella.

Hastaluego Amigos!

Shalom.

Koku Anyidoho

Deputy General Secretary, (NDC)

Founder/CEO Atta Mills Institute (AMI)

Ps.

Did I read somewhere that Kwaku Baako said that Akufo-Addo is the new Kwame Nkrumah? Is it true what I read?

Honestly, when people succeed in mortgaging their consciences to the dictates of their stomachs and pockets, it is sad the way their brain cells function.

What has Akufo-Addo done in 8 months that makes him the new Nkrumah?

Is it the senseless attempt to obliterate the memory of the great Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and replace it with the traitorous image of J.B. Danquah?

Or is it the extremely disgusting and disgraceful plagiarised speech on his inauguration day that makes Akufo-Addo the new Nkrumah?

Akufo-Addo the new Nkrumah? Apuuuutorrrr!!!!

Anyway, Kwaku Baako is now a political spent-force and a dinosaur so I will not waste too much time on his words.