Akufo-Addo replies Ablakwa in USA; SHS has come to stay (audio)

One week after launching the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy, President  Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given an assurance that the initiative has come to stay.

“The Free SHS Policy has come to stay and will be sustained,” he told a section of Ghanaian residents at a dinner held in his and the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s honour by the Ghana Mission in New York last Sunday.

The President and his wife, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo are in New York to participate in the 72nd United Nations General Assembly.

President on Free SHS

The dinner was well attended by a number of Ghanaian residents, including traditional rulers living in and around New York, Ghana government delegation and some members of civil society organisations from Ghana participating in different sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

Under the Free SHS Policy, about 400,000 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates who qualified for admission to SHS are expected to enjoy free tuition, textbooks, meals, library usage, admission, examination, uniforms and Students Representative Council (SRC) dues.

To ensure the successful implementation of the policy, the government, on September 8, 2017, released GH¢280 million out of the GH¢486 million required for the flagship programme.

The Free SHS Policy is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Four, Target One, which states: “By 2030, all boys and girls complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education, leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.”

It also stipulates that by 2030, all girls and boys will have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education, so that they are ready for primary education.

The policy effectively marks the end of the era when financial constraints were a barrier to the aspirations of children who wanted secondary education in the country.

President Akufo-Addo said the task left behind to rebuild the nation was huge, but was quick to add that “I am not daunted.

“We have many great assets in Ghana, the biggest being the people who are very resilient and determined.  If we can mobilise their goodwill we can do a lot of things for the country.”

“We are trying to begin things again in Ghana. It is not going to be easy but we have begun,”  President Akufo-Addo added.

He, however, cautioned that “no matter the differences of opinion that we may have on issues, and how they should be done, the commitment on the Ghana project should bind us and keep us focused”.

Dropout rate

Statistics available indicate that on the average, more than 140,000 students are either not placed by the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) or placed but do not enrol, largely because of financial barriers, every year.

Out of the number of students placed by the CSSPS yearly, more than 25 per cent do not enrol, while the northern scholarship admission and placement trend shows that an average of 11.48 per cent of candidates placed by the CSSPS do not enrol.

For instance, in 2013, out of the 352,202 candidates who were placed, 90,604 did not enrol, while in 2014 the number of candidates who did not enrol, although they qualified, was 113,260.

In the case of 2015, the number of candidates who did not enrol was 115,363, while that of 2016 was 111,336.

UN Secretary-General

In another development, President Akufo-Addo held a closed-door meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres and the group of 17 eminent persons serving as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocates.

 President Akufo-Addo is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 21, 2017.

For his part, the First Lady  will also attend the Sixth United Nations General Assembly side event of African First Ladies Against Cancers and also participate in a high-level Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV and AIDS (OFLA) meeting in New York.

The theme of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly is “Focusing on People: striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet.”

Listen to President Akufo-Addo's address here

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