Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang
Today marks the 30th anniversary of my father joining his ancestors in Samanfoland. One advice of his I fondly remember is Epictetus’ saying that, “Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly.” If indeed those in Samanfoland can see happenings in the land of the living, then I’m sure he would be very pleased to see his beloved son being guided by the wise-saying.
The saying kept ringing in my mind as I watched President Ogwanfunu’s running mate in the just ended presidential election, Grandma Naana Jane’s interview on Free SHS on one of the pro-Umbrella media platforms. I couldn’t help wondering if the interview was necessary since it was coming so soon after her party’s latest electoral defeat. But upon second thought, I realize it was a political strategy to keep her relevant in the eyes of her party folks.
After a very disappointing 2020 election campaign where we, most of the time, saw Grandma waving at unenthusiastic or empty crowds, it was obvious to even political neophytes that she contributed next to nothing to President Ogwanfunu’s campaign. It is therefore understandable that she would use such a platform to ridicule the successes of the Free SHS policy in order to endear herself to the folks under the eagle-headed Umbrella.
Maybe the objective has been achieved. However, looking at the number of people who have expressed dismay at Grandma’s immaturity and lack of candour in her criticism, one can safely say that being silent would have been a better option. But hey, she has already vomited the words and cannot do anything about its repugnant smell.
It is interesting to note that Grandma did not have a single positive story to tell about Free SHS. All her stories were negative as she tried in vain to prove that the Umbrella was a better manager of the education sector as compared to its Elephant counterpart. But we know better because we vividly remember her tenure as Education Minister.
We all saw Grandma’s ‘achievements’ as Education Minister in the Ogwanfunu government. We saw how teachers struggled to get common chalk to facilitate teaching and learning in their various classrooms. It sometimes took the intervention of benevolent citizens for some of the schools to get chalk.
Frankly, I felt scandalized when Grandma virtually alluded to cheating and other malpractices as the cause of the splendid WASCE performance by the first batch of Free SHS students. She may think she was only playing politics, but her folly has far reaching consequences. Any foreign university worth it salt wouldn’t take her cheating remarks lightly. The resultant effect is that deserving students may be denied scholarship because of a reckless remark by a grieving “shadow vice-president’.
Again, if the result of any examination should be doubted, then it should be that of 2013. Under her watch, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASCE) papers were cancelled and candidates compelled to go through the torture of re-writing already written papers. If not selective amnesia or pure mischief, why would she be silent on the 2013 exam fiasco and lampoon the 2020 exam result?
Yes, we may need moral lessons. But we certainly wouldn’t go for such lessons from, as the addage say, an unrepentant harlot in a brothel. So Grandma should please spare us the noise.
Abusuapanin, no one is saying the implenentation of the Free SHS policy has been without teething problems. But let’s give credit where it is due. The undeniable fact is that efforts are always made to tackle any problem that rears its ugly head.
For instance, we used to hear and see a lot of confusion during school placement of JHS leavers. We did not hear or see any noise this year because effecient strategies were used in containing the problem. But the media was very silent on the feat because good news does not sell. Is it any wonder that some media houses were so desperate for bad news that they had to interview imaginary students with loose screws in their chairs?
Grandma and her ilk had hoped to see a very bad result after criticizing the policy and its implementation. Having seen their hopes disappear into thin air, they are now compelled to attack the WASCE results to justify their unwarranted and jaundiced criticisms.
The vile propaganda will not change the fact that more than 400,000 students, who otherwise would have been on the streets, have gained secondary education courtesy of the Free SHS policy. Their lamentations will also not erode the achievements of the policy. Certainly, posterity will judge Nana Dee kindly.
Well, we’ve heard Grandma’s sanctimonious effusions. But someone should please tell her that a man does not need to be bitten twice by an ant to learn his lessons. Once is enough! Indeed, only a fool will seek to eat the vomit he covered with sand.
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!