President Akufo-Addo has said the Ghana has seen the highest enrolment of first year students into senior high school in the history of the country this year.
Speaking at the 67th Independence Day celebration in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, President Akufo-Addo said this achievement is a clear indication of the widespread embrace of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
He said, “The greatest challenge remains the provision of good quality education to all of Ghana’s children and young people. We have a lot to be proud of, but we have more work to do.
“I am happy that, through the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, we are removing financial barriers to education, unlocking the potential of thousands of young Ghanaians, and laying the foundation for a brighter future for our country.”
“This year, we have seen the highest ever enrolment of first year students into senior high school in our nation’s history, that is 503,000 students, a clear indication of the widespread embrace of the Free Senior High School Policy.”
President Akufo-Addo added that “We should be able to offer every Ghanaian child the best education there can be, and, having completed High School, our children should be equipped with skills that make them prepared to face the modern world. Our schools must prepare our children to be comfortable with Science and Technology, and ready to compete in the modern economy.”
Parental responsibilities
The president said there is more to preparing a child to face the world than what can be taught in a classroom, and there is certainly more to moulding a Ghanaian child than what our hard-working teachers do every day.
He said, “Too many parents have relinquished the entire responsibility of bringing up children to what happens in schools. I do not refer only to our music, dance, food, language and fashion that form the basis of our cultural identity; I refer to the values that set us apart as Ghanaians.”
“If we are to take pride in being Ghanaian, there should be a consensus on the values we hold dear, and we should transmit them to every generation,” the president added.
