Children commend President for initiating community day SHS
Ghanaian children have commended the President, Mr John Dramani Mahama for his decision to establish 200 new community day senior high schools in the country.
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They said that would enable many students to pursue education to the senior high school level after completing basic school.
“It is our belief that the first set of the schools would be in full operation by the beginning of the next academic year,” they added.
The children commended the president when they presented a message to the nation at the President’s Independence Day Awards ceremony in Accra on Wednesday.
Two students, a male and a female, were selected from each of the 10 regions and awarded gold medals, tablets, a year’s supply of milo products and a certificate.
There was also a sponsorship package and a scholarship award for a trip to the United States for the two best students among the group.
The children, who presented the message in English, Ga, Gonja, Ewe and Akan, said they appreciated the government’s efforts in instilling in them a sense of unity and patriotism and all Ghanaians to put the nation first always in everything they did.
They also entreated Ghanaians to patronise made-in-Ghana products in order to give the economy the necessary boost.
The recipients of the presidential awards pleaded with President Mahama to address the concerns of their teachers by improving the conditions of service as well as that of other workers so that they would discharge their duties well to help improve the country.
The students extended their best wishes to the Ghana Black Stars in the upcoming World Cup event scheduled for June this year in Brazil.
President Mahama in his address to the award winners said his government had shown keen interest in improving the education sector and that explained why one third of its budget went into wages, infrastructure and feeding grants, among others.
He noted that increased participation of communities in the management of schools would enhance the academic performance of students.
President Mahama pointed out that the 10 top districts which performed excellently in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were deprived but the communities took keen interest in enhancing education in the schools.
He said the interest shown by communities in the development of schools within their localities had resulted in most of the schools (which scored zero per cent in the BECE) turning around to score between 70 and 80 per cent.
He, therefore, directed the district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives to play active roles in the management of the schools under their jurisdiction.
President Mahama assured the children that he would act positively on the message they had presented on behalf of their mates.
He commended the award winners and expressed the hope that they would not be distracted but forge ahead in achieving greater heights.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, said 10 students were usually selected from each region, but in 2001, upon suggestions from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the number was increased to 20.
She said the criteria for selection included performance in the BECE, participation in extra-curricular activities and good moral behaviour, among others.
Prof. Opoku-Agyeman thanked the major sponsors, Nestle Ghana Limited and Fiesta Royale Hotel, for their support.
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