President Akufo-Addo believes that the country will be better off in the future with the full implementation of the Free Senior High School programme.
According to him, the policy programme is a useful investment in the youth which will eventually drive Ghana’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the launch of the flagship programme at the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) in Accra, Nana Addo said the program will be funded from proceeds of the country’s natural resources.
“We have chosen to invest in the future of our youth in our country. We’ve decided to use the proceeds from our natural resources to help educate the population to drive our economic transformation… The most equitable and progressive way of using these revenues is to educate and empower our population to strengthen our nation,” Akufo-Addo said.
“We have a sacred duty to our children and other generations beyond in ensuring that irrespective of their circumstances, their right to education is preserved. That is why my government has decided to absorb all Senior High School fees that have been agreed between the Ghana Education Service Council and Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools. I want every Ghanaian child to attend Secondary school not just for what they learn in books, but for the life experiences they get,” Akufo-Addo added.
He indicated that the government was committed to ensuring that quality education is not compromised in the program.
He said quality education was a major focus of the programme, although it is keen on ensuring that the programme expands access to Secondary School by Junior High School graduates.
Nana Akufo-Addo added that, the government is collaborating with some development partners to build the capacity of teachers to ensure that they effectively carry out their mandate.
The Free SHS program is a long-held campaign promise of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) before it came into government in January 2017.
Then flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, used the programme as his flagship campaign message in the 2008 and 2012 elections, but failed to secure the mandate of Ghanaians in the December polls.
In December 2016 however, riding on the back of the Free SHS campaign message, Nana Akufo-Addo was voted into office as President of Ghana.
Among his early public statements after his inauguration, President Akufo-Addo indicated that, his government was working hard to implement the policy programme from the 2017/2018 Academic year starting in September.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana