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President Nana Akufo-Addo has questioned former President Mahama’s credibility on the latter's claim to expand the Free Senior High School programme to include private schools if re-elected to the Presidency in the December 7 polls.

According to the President, John Mahama and the NDC, has since the NPP's announcement of its intention to roll-out such an initiative, doubted effectiveness of the Free SHS policy.

Speaking exclusively on Hello FM with King Edward de Slave, he explained that the NDC government has over the years spurned every credible policy that will help alleviate the hardship of Ghanaians.

"The NDC then in opposition during Kuffour’s era vehemently kicked against the Health Insurance Policy and this same NDC is giving us an option for free SHS.

"First of all, has he come to the realization of the free SHS policy? If he has, then he should prove his credibility on the policy.

"But for me, I still doubt his credibility on the free SHS policy because he has never given us any alternative policy than to kick against it as he has always done from day one," President Akufo-Addo stated.

Free SHS has come to stay – Mahama

The flagbearer for the opposition NDC, John Dramani Mahama says contrary to opinions that he will scrap the Free Senior High School policy introduced by the governing NPP when voted into power, “free Senior High School education has come to stay”.

Clarifying his stance, the former President said he is not against the policy but rather against the implementation process which he claims has caused parents, students, and teachers great inconvenience.

“Free Senior High School education has come to stay. If anybody tells you that I, John Dramani Mahama, will abolish Free SHS when I come into power tell the person he is a bloody liar,” Mr Mahama said.

Earlier this month, at the launch of the NDC’s manifesto at the University for Professional Studies in Accra, on the theme ‘People’s Manifesto: Jobs, Prosperity and More’, the flagbearer’s running mate, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang noted that the second-cycle schools in the private sector also need to be rolled onto the national policy in the next NDC government.

“We plan to make the Free SHS more inclusive by expanding it to cover students in private Senior High Schools in under-served and deprived parts of the country,” she added.

The Free SHS, introduced in September 2017, meant that the fees of every child in Ghana, who gained admission to a public Senior High School, will be absorbed by the government.

It also meant free tuition, admission, textbooks, library fees, science center fees, fees for ICT, examination fees, utility fees, boarding, and meals.

This, the government believes, will remove any cost barrier that prevents students from achieving their educational goals.

Listen to President Akufo-Addo in video below