The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the John Mahama administration of allowing the quality of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme to decline, citing challenges with learning materials, school uniforms and food supplies.
Dr. Francis Adomako, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, said the current implementation of the policy does not match what he described as the standards maintained under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Speaking on Kumasi Mail on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Dr. Adomako said some items that were previously provided to students under the Free SHS programme were now being left for parents and guardians to purchase.
“Free Senior High School under His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not the same thing under this government,” he said.
He also raised concerns about reported food shortages in some senior high schools and the quality of meals being served to students.
According to him, concerns raised by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) over food supplies point to wider challenges confronting the implementation of the programme.
He argued that the reported difficulties could have implications for the quality of education and the welfare of students in the affected institutions.
“What we were promised, for them even to be buying the food on their own has not been materialized. A lot of things are ongoing. Food quality is something that affects the school children,” he stated.
Dr. Adomako maintained that the challenges were contributing to what he described as a decline in the quality of education under the Free SHS programme.
“The quality in that particular educational setup is low. It’s not the same standard,” he added.
He consequently called on the government to address concerns surrounding the provision of learning materials and food to ensure that the Free SHS policy continues to provide quality secondary education without imposing additional financial pressure on parents.
The government has yet to respond to the allegations contained in the NPP official’s comments.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
