Vice Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has touted the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as the best leader for Ghana, citing the progress made in the education sector over the past eight years as a foundation of hope for Ghana’s future.
He stressed his faith in the NPP’s track record and its ability to build on current achievements and positioned Dr. Bawumia as the best leader to drive future progress.
He said, “The best person to lead us is the Vice President because, with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP in charge, it could only be better for Ghana.
Speaking on Manifesto Watch on Ghana Television (GTV) recently, the Manhyia Member of Parliament passionately defended the party’s educational accomplishments stressing the sector has witnessed tremendous improvement since the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration came into power.
Reflecting on the state of education when the NPP took office, Dr. Opoku Prempeh recounted the challenges facing Ghana’s education system.
According to him, learning outcomes and international rankings showed low-performance levels, with Ghana ranking among the lowest globally in literacy and mathematics proficiency.
He said, “When we were ranked among other nations, only two per cent of our Primary 2 pupils achieved the standard for their grade level. Now that rate is at 38 per cent – a significant improvement.”
Dr. Opoku Prempeh also emphasized improvements in core subject pass rates, stating that over 60 per cent of students are now scoring A1 to C6 in subjects necessary for university entry, with mathematics pass rates also rising above 60 per cent.
This, he said, proves that the government has moved the sector from the doldrums to where it is today.
He stressed the impact of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) initiative, emphasizing its significant boost in student enrolment and academic performance across Ghana.
According to him, in one year 183,000 more students enrolled than there were available places and despite initial concerns about the program’s effect on educational quality, the results had remarkably improved year by year’ since 2020, the year when Ghana’s Free SHS cohort scored a historic 88% of all A1 grades in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
He pointed out the Free SHS program’s inclusive approach, explaining that even students who initially failed core subjects like Mathematics and English were given fully-funded opportunities to re-sit exams.
This approach, he argued, ensured broader access to education, regardless of background or academic challenges.
Reflecting on early public scepticism, he added, “Those who doubted Free SHS watched as the program was successfully implemented in record time, benefiting students across the country.”
The NPP running mate also detailed reforms aimed at supporting teachers, highlighting professionalization initiatives such as the transition from diploma-level teachers to graduates with specialized certifications for different school levels.
He said, “Teachers are at the centre of any educational reform and under the NPP administration, every teacher is a graduate with specialism certificates for early grade, primary, junior high, or senior high school.”
He also stressed the NPP’s investment in school infrastructure, claiming that Ghana’s secondary schools had grown from around 600 to over 1,000 under their tenure.
He stated that every single objective measure of assessment shows that Ghana is far better now than it was before.
Addressing criticism of the teacher licensure examination, Dr. Opoku Prempeh challenged the opposition’s stance, calling it ‘hypocrisy.’
He argued that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had proposed and piloted the teacher licensure exam as part of its education manifesto but later opposed its implementation by the NPP.
“In their 2012 manifesto, they said they would institute teacher licensure exams, and by 2015 they were ready to implement it fully. The government that started teacher licensure is now criticizing it – that is the hypocrisy,” he stated.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh stressed that the NPP came into power, and is on a journey to improve upon what it found adding, “With Dr. Bawumia at the helm, Ghana can look forward to better days.”
