Chief to set up free SHS fund

The Omanhene of the Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area, Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI, has announced his intention to establish a Free Senior High School Must Succeed Fund to mobilise public support for the government’s free SHS policy.

He announced this at a Speech and Prize-giving Day to mark the 70th anniversary of the Ghana National College in Cape Coast, where he was the guest speaker.

To demonstrate his commitment, he said he would contribute an amount which would see two students through SHS and announced that the fund would be launched publicly soon.

Nana Agyensaim appealed to those who had the means to contribute towards the education of at least one person in SHS.

Whereas government policy is against discrimination in the provision of free education at the SHS level, irrespective of how much parents of students are worth, it has canvassed support from the public to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the policy.

Recently, the minister of finance, sharing his personal opinion on the funding of the free SHS policy, suggested that there must be provision for parents who were capable and willing to pay for the education of their children at the SHS to do so to ensure the success of the policy.

Nana Agyensaim said the free SHS policy represented a great vision and agreed with Nelson Mandela that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

“The removal of financial barriers to good quality education is the most important investment we can make for our country,” he said, but suggested that “the government must consider a Means Test Formulation, so that those deemed capable do not become a drain on those who are less capable”.

Commendation

Nana Agyensaim commended the government and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in particular, for the foresight and initiative.

He appealed to Ghanaians to work towards the success of the programme and charged parents who could afford to pay their children’s fees at the SHS to voluntarily do so in support of the government.

He said the future of the country depended on patriotism and called on all those who had, at one time or another, benefited from progressive national policies and programmes to help build a better future for the youth.

He asked Ghanaians to dip their hands into their pockets to support the free SHS policy, emphasising that “after all patriotism without deeds is mere rhetoric”.

The Omanhene urged Ghanaians to commit themselves to be patriots and show patriotism, stressing: “We must be committed patriots, not just spectators, and I open this drive to all Ghanaians to join us make the free SHS policy a great success.”