Free SHS has come to stay – Education Minister
The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has assured all Ghanaians that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) initiative introduced by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government has come to stay.
He explained that the introduction of the FSHS initiative is to ensure equity, improve accessibility, and also ease the burden of parents so that their children could have access to education whether they have money or not.
Again, he said, “the government would continue to make available the right resources to ensure that all schools had what was required to support effective teaching and learning in all schools at all times irrespective of location”.
Surprised visits
Dr. Adutwum gave the assurance when he paid a surprised visit to some selected schools in the Central Region on Friday to monitor the adherence to the COVID-19 protocols, implementation of the Free SHS Policy, and teaching, learning, and assessment.
The Minister who was on his way to the launching of the five-year strategic plan for the Takoradi Technical University visited Wesley Girls High School, Academy of Christ the King SHS, Holy Child School, and then to St. Augustine’s College.
He also used the occasion to donate five pianos to some selected basic schools in the Cape Coast Municipality.
Satisfaction
Dr. Adutwum who was impressed with the activities in the schools commended the Cape Coast Education Directorate and the staff of the various schools for their hard work and assured them of the government’s readiness to continue providing them with resources on time to enhance effective teaching and learning in their schools.
He also urged students to spend most of their time at school studying as well as engaging in activities that stood the chance of preparing them for a brighter future.
Remain focused
The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, charged students to remain focused at all time whiles in school and at home so they would be able to study hard for the good of their future.
Again, he urged the students to let their focus be on their studies which held the key to the development of the country so that the huge investment made in the education sector would not go to waste.
He assured the leadership of the various schools in the region that his Ministry would liaise with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to find a lasting solution to encroachment which was disturbing some schools in the region.
The Central Regional Director for Education, Mrs. Martha Owusu-Agyemang, said the major challenge confronting schools in the region was encroachment and appealed to the Minister to do something about the situation.
She assured the Minister that everything possible would be done to ensure that students in the region continue to work extra hard to maintain their good record in the nation’s education sector.
