Education Ministry denies involvement in free SHS brainwashing agenda

The Ministry of Education has issued a statement denying knowledge or involvement in the viral Free Senior High School (SHS) brainwashing campaign linked to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In the video a man now identified as Samuel Baah, Project Coordinator of Ambassadors of Free SHS, was seen politically coercing students assembled in a hall. He is heard asking the students to beg their parents to retain the NPP government in 2020 to guarantee their completion of the three-year programme.

Social media critics have summed it up as a sign of desperation.

However, the statement from the Education Ministry signed by Communications Director, Ekow Vincent Assafuah said the government has not appointed or mandated any person or group as Free SHS Ambassadors to go round Senior High School campuses in the country to campaign for the government of President Akufo-Addo.

The Ministry said it has taking note of the reservations of members of the public and the NDC and pledged to commence “investigations.

Interestingly, the man captured in the video, Samuel Baah, says he was just a volunteer and was not campaigning for President Akufo-Addo.

“There is nothing wrong with what I’m doing, I motivate the students through my meagre salary” albeit he admits, “there is no approval from the Ghana Education Service (GES) concerning my initiative.

He added: “I don’t carry out duties on behalf of GES/Free SHS Secretariat neither do I speak on behalf of the GES.

Yesterday the NDC in a strongly worded statement condemned the activity ongoing in some schools accusing the government of masterminding the agenda. It demanded that the Ghana Education Service and the sector Ministry immediately denounce it and stop all such activities on campuses across the country.

The NDC said the viral video which shows the gentleman who is clad in a T-shirt with the inscription “Free SHS Ambassador” boldly embossed on it, indoctrinating a gathering of young SHS students to campaign to their colleagues and parents to vote for President Akufo-Addo in the 2020 General Elections, breaches GES regulation and could not have gone on without tacit endorsement of officials. The statement signed by National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi observed…..“The hypocrisy of the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) in turning a blind eye on such infractions to the tranquillity of the teaching and learning environment in our Senior High Schools must be roundly condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians, especially Parents and Guardians,”