It is worth implementing Free SHS — President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has justified his Government’s implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) Programme.

He said the initiative was based on the experiential evidence that its implementation was feasible, as well as the huge benefits the country would derive from the policy.

Prior to the take-off of the Programme, it was estimated that each year, about 100,000 students from the Junior High School (JHS) level could not make it to SHS as a result of limited resources on the part of their parents and guardians, President Nana Akufo-Addo noted.

Interacting with students of the Wesley Girls’ SHS, Cape Coast, at the Jubilee House, in Accra, the President described the initiative as a major step by the Government to boost the country’s human resource base.

In September 2017, Ghana achieved a major milestone with the implementation of the Free SHS Programme.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) said that year, there was an 11 per cent increase in enrolment, breaking the record from previous years.

In the 2017/18 academic year, a new record was set with the highest enrolment ever seen in the country – over 470,000 students enrolled in Senior High School.

Goal Four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) states: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.”

Additionally, Article 25 1b of the 1992 Constitution states that: “Secondary education in its different forms, including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education.”

According to the Ghana Education Service (GES), some 1.6 million youth have benefitted so far from the Free SHS policy.

President Nana Akufo-Addo was delighted that in spite of the teething problems the initiative faced, the Free SHS Programme had come to stay.

Education, he said, remained a core development priority of his Administration as it was the surest way to ensure a secured future for the youth.

He cited for praise the then Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and his Deputy, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, for the able manner in which they executed the policy.

The Wesley Girls SHS students were at the Jubilee House on an educational tour.

President Akufo-Addo briefed the visiting students on his career development and urged them to take their studies seriously.