Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader in Parliament has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus of opposing the proposed Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill, 2024.
Afenyo-Markin has dared the NDC to be bold and point out why exactly it is opposed to the Bill.
“We have heard the Ranking Member on the Education Committee, the Honorable Peter Nortsu-Kotoe Member for Akatsi North, strongly opposing the Free SHS Bill. Clearly, the NDC Minority does not want to commit itself to Free SHS, and the fact that we want to enact a law to make it mandatory”, Afenyo-Markin told a press conference on Tuesday.
He continued: “We have stated time without number that those provisions in the Constitution that talk about Free SHS are very aspirational. They are aspirational provisions so the way to go is to enact a law to regulate the Free SHS policy which is currently in operation.
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“The NDC is opposed to this and they have spoken through their Ranking Member. We want them to tell Ghanaians whether Free SHS is not their priority as a responsible opposition.
“The Ministry of Education is going to ferry the Bill through to Parliament, we are ready and that is what as part of the engagement process we engage them but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the Free SHS Bill, it is clear their spokesperson on education has been very loud.
“The last time I tried to tease the matter on the floor he (Peter Nortsu-Kotoe) avoided a response, he stayed clear of it and was not ready to commit himself. So we know that in Parliament the Caucus speaks through its spokesperson and he is the Ranking Member on education, he is the NDC spokesperson on education, and he says he is opposed to the Free SHS Bill because there is some provision in the constitution, they should tell us why they are opposed to the Bill,” the Majority Leader added.
The Majority Leader, last week said the Bill in question seeks to make the policy more effective and sustainable, aligning with the aspirations outlined in Chapter 5 of the Constitution.
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Afenyo-Markin explained that while these provisions are not enforceable by law, the government aims to make them justifiable through legislation.
“I’m also able to report that the Education Minister will present the Free SHS Bill to Parliament. The chapter five of the Constitution provides some aspirational indicatives. Those are not justiciable, but once by a policy of the government, an aspiration as a message by the constitution is put into action then to make it justiciable, you enact”, he noted.
