The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Pius Enam Hadzide, has entreated beneficiaries of the free Senior High school policy to study hard and aspire for excellence.
The Deputy Minister gave the advice when he visited some five senior high schools within the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern region.
The schools visited were Akwamuman Senior High, Adjena Senior High Technical School, Apegusu Senior High, Anum Senior High and Bosso Senior High Technical School all in the Asuogyaman Constituency.
Mr. Hadzide, who interacted with the new students, admonished them to disabuse their minds of the notion that anything free was substandard, stating that former President Mahama was a beneficiary of free education.
“Former President Mahama led the Achimota school back in the days and went to enjoy free education in the North and so if he is a beneficiary of free SHS and became the number one gentleman of our land, then I am optimistic that one day we shall see great people amongst you. Government has played its part by investing over four hundred million ghana cedis in your education. Now what is left is for you to study hard and ensure you come out with flying colours at the end of your three year programme.”
He added that “as you can see, all the schools visited shows clearly an overwhelming enrolement which has never happened in the history of senior high education in the Asuogyaman District. So I am highly impressed and happy because free SHS has really come to help parents who could hitherto not afford to take their wards to school for lack of money.”
Despite the high enrollment, the heads of the various schools outlined some challenges hey are facing.
They pleaded for additional dormitory blocks, assembly halls, beds, chairs among other essential things that would help the programme take off smoothly.
The head teachers were highly elated with the high enrollment for this academic year, saying it has never happened in the history of schools in the area.
“Until the free education policy was rolled out, our schools were quite empty with just a handful of students reporting for school, but the situation is different now, and we are so happy and together with the teachers, we are ready to give our best to ensure the students get the best of tuition,” they noted
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By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana