Welcome to school

Government senior high schools (SHSs) open across the country today for fresh students to pursue their SHS education.

Today, the first batch of students under the double-track system who also happens to be the second group of students under the free SHS programme will begin their education across all senior high, technical and vocational schools in the country. For some of the SHS students, this is the first time they are leaving their families to stay with different people altogether.

The Daily Graphic recalls the huge investment governments have made over the years across all levels of education. The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), which has helped to boost infrastructure from the basic to the tertiary level of education, the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) that has over the years helped increase enrolment in our basic schools, the provision of textbooks, the school feeding programme and the provision of uniforms and sandals are a few of the recent initiatives in the education sector.

By the introduction of these initiatives, issues which could be hindrances to acquiring higher education have been removed to a large extent.

The importance of the free SHS cannot be overemphasised, and most Ghanaians agree it is one of the best things to have happened in the history of the country. Though the government has absorbed virtually everything – ranging from school fees, textbooks, boarding fees and feeding, among many other fees – we draw parents and guardians’ attention to the fact that they still have a responsibility towards their children and wards by providing for their needs as they journey through school.

We need not also remind parents that the upbringing of children is a shared responsibility between themselves and teachers. But it is sad to know that some parents do not even attend Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings to discuss the welfare of their children, and we think with the onset of the double-track system parents should be more active in the academic life of their children.

The Daily Graphic admits there would be challenges along the way with the system, but through the challenges we can fashion the best solution. We thus ask the government to come clean on the double-track system. We take note of  the education about the initiative so far by the Ministry of Education and commend, particularly, the Deputy Minister of Education for his role in this.

In this vein, we ask all Ghanaians to offer suggestions that will improve the system for the benefit of all. We also advise the fresh students to take advantage of the opportunities available to prepare themselves towards the future by abstaining from bad company and taking their studies seriously to become useful to themselves, their parents and their community in future.

On this note, we commend teachers for the yeoman’s role they have been playing in shaping our development through the education, training, knowledge and skills they give to students. We encourage them to continue with their good works and be the noble professionals that they have always been.

We urge the educational authorities, parents, students, politicians and the general public to contribute their quota to the success of these young ones and education in the country for us to regain our glory as one of the countries with the best system of education.

This is not a charge impossible for us to keep.