Former president John Mahama has condemend the decision by the Minister of Education to close down underperforming Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions in the country.
According to the former president, the suggestion made by the education minister is “nonsensical.”
His reaction comes barely a week after Dr Yaw Adutwum suggested that non-performing schools will be closed down and affected students will be redistributed to nearby schools for them to continue their education. He explained by so doing will save the government money.
However, Mr. Mahama whiles addressing party supporters as part of his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region over the weekend, Mahama described the education minister’s move as unreasonable.
“About a week ago, I learnt the Education Minister saying they are going to close down that are underperforming, and I fumed what government is this? If schools are not performing, [they] government must rather assess reasons why these schools are not performing, maybe they don’t have adequate teachers, lacks books and other learning materials so they can perform rather than the closure down.
“So, these are some reasons to be meted out to help them and solve the problem but for you [Education minister], to suggest closure down of non-performing schools and enroll the students in other schools is nonsensical and unreasonable,” he jabbed.
He added that “But, for the education minister, if he cannot help the underperforming schools to do better, he should resign for someone to continue.”
According to him under the tutuleg of former Education Minister Jane Naana Opoku during the erstwhile NDC administration, they improved the standard of some non-performance schools in the country and made them in the limelight.
Therefore, he questioned why the ruling government cannot emulate the main opposition party to improve performance of schools rather opting of closure and dares him to try implementing such move because they won’t allow him to make it effective.
