Alhassan Suhuyini, the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, has criticised the Akufo-Addo government’s educational system.
He noted that the government’s significant investment in its flagship Free SHS policy has led to the neglect of tertiary education.
Suhuyini highlighted the stark contrast between the Free SHS and tertiary levels, pointing out the severe deprivation and lack of preparation at the tertiary level.
He criticized the government for not implementing measures to accommodate the increasing numbers from the Free SHS level.
During an interview on Citi TV’s Big Issue, he lamented that the funding allocated to the educational sector is ‘woefully inadequate’.
He used the term ‘Kwashiokor’ to describe the disparity in investment between the Free SHS and tertiary levels.
“When you compare investment at free SHS to investment at the tertiary level, you can see a ‘Kwashiokor’ education system. Where the legs are swollen because of deprivation, no preparation is done at the tertiary level to absorb the increased numbers at the free SHS level.
“So much money goes there bloating the stomach, and that is not healthy. The amount spent on education in my view is woefully inadequate. Parents will tell you the challenges they are going through at whatever education level their wards are. The financial barrier still exists,” he told host, Selorm Adonoo.
While he acknowledged the substantial amount of money spent on the Free SHS, he emphasized that it would take many years for Ghana to reverse the deterioration in the educational sector.
“In terms of money spent on free SHS, I don’t challenge that, but the decay that our educational sector is faced will take us many years to reverse,” he said.
Suhuyini stated that any attempts to absolve the president of the issues in the education sector will not withstand scrutiny over time. The MP for Tamale North pointed out that the government has received substantial revenue over time, and therefore, much is expected of it.
He said though the country may face many challenges, the most critical areas are education, environment, and economy.
“Attempts to whitewash the president with developments in education cannot stand the test of time. Because it will take us many years to reverse the decay. In terms of the quantum of money spent on education, it’s expected and a gimmick. The government has been getting so much from revenue alone.
“Why because over the period, so much revenue has come to this government. And it’s Biblical, that to whom much is given, much is expected. But I have said, we may be faced with many challenges as a country, but the triple jeopardy is in the areas of education, environment and economy,”
——-
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spams, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigi
