<<Print>>

The Supreme Court (SC) of Ghana will today commence hearing of a case involving the Progressive People�s Party (PPP) and the Attorney-General (A-G,) the defendant in the case, on the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE). The PPP on March 31, 2014 filed a writ at the Supreme Court seeking to, among other things, have a further interpretation of the FCUBE and as well compel government to implement the compulsory aspect of the policy as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. The application was filed following President John Dramani Mahama�s promise in his State of the Nation address in Parliament on February 25th this year that his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) would commence the implementation of free Senior High School (SHS) policy next year. This is a promise contrary to what he [President Mahama] said about the same policy prior to 2012 General Elections. The PPP�s reliefs, among other things, seek to have �a declaration that on the true and proper interpretation of Articles 25 (1) (a) and 38 (2) of the 1992 Constitution, Government of Ghana had only twelve years commencing from January 7, 1993 to January 6, 2005 to have delivered to the Ghanaian children of school going age free, compulsory and universal basic education and that the government has failed in discharging the said constitutional duty imposed on her by the people of Ghana.� It is further praying the Supreme Court to render the true and proper interpretation of Articles 14 (1) (e), 25(1) (a) and 38 (2) of the 1992 Constitution, that says �the Government of Ghana has a constitutional duty to compel children of school-going age within the Republic who refuse and or fail so to do to be at school without fail and that Ghana Government failure to so act thereto constitutes an omission that is inconsistent with the Constitution.�