The president, Nana Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that, his government is working assiduously to address the many challenges that have bedevilled the implementation of its flagship free Senior High School education program.
According to him, it is expected that the implementation of such a new program will be confronted with challenges, however, the government was on course to address them.
President Nana Addo disclosed this when he addressed a durbar of chiefs at the Ramsey park in Bolgatanga of the Upper East Region as part of a two-day working visit to the area.
The president who felt exonerated by Ghanaians for implementing the educational program, expressed concern over the cases of infrastructure deficit in most second cycle institutions which were affecting the smooth implementation of the policy.
He said, the government was committed to addressing the challenges in order to provide quality education for all secondary school graduates.
“There were many who mocked at the various commitments I had made to the Ghanaian people, they say they were deceived and that I couldn’t do them. Free SHS they say could not take place within the next twenty years but it is now a reality in our country…When you are beginning something new there are bound to be major challenges but if you don’t begin, you would not know what you need to do to improve it. Free SHS has begun, Free SHS is going to stay, Free SHS is going to continue and in the process, the challenges of infrastructure and facilities, we will deal with those challenges to ensure better performance in subsequent years”, he said.
“…But we had to begin because the most important thing we can do for our generation is to see all our young people educated so that, they can face the twenty-first century with confidence. This is the century of knowledge, ICT, the digital revolution and if our children are not exposed to it quickly once again, we are going to be left behind and that is the whole idea of the Free SHS”, he added.
President Nana Addo appealed to traditional rulers in the Upper East Region to support government fight the menace of smuggling subsidized fertilizer under the planting for food and jobs programme to neighbouring countries at the expense of farmers.
He urged chiefs and community members to work in synergy with the law enforcement agencies to nip the canker in the bud.
He also hinted that about 660 communities in the Upper East Region will be connected to the national grid between 2017 and 2018.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana