Govt hands over 100 buses to Senior High Schools, 250 on the way

The government has procured and distributed 100 buses to a number of Senior High Schools, with a further 250 on the way, in the ongoing fulfillment of President Akufo-Addo’s commitment not only to increase access, but also to ensure that complementary resources are provided to enable the delivery of quality education to Ghanaians.

At a short ceremony on Thursday, July 30, 2020, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia handed over the keys to the heads of the selected Senior High Schools, drawn from the North East, Northern, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Oti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions, and charged them to ensure their proper use.

In the interests of fairness, schools that received buses in 2016 are not included in the distribution list this year.

This latest addition to the vehicular resources of the Ministry of Education comes after the handover, earlier in the year, of 365 out of a total of 840 Isuzu Double Cabin pickup trucks, which were distributed to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directorates of Education, as well as selected agencies under the Ministry of Education.

As well, 493 out of a total 2,000 motorbikes to aid the work of circuit supervisors and to further enhance their supervisory roles in the education sector were also handed over earlier in the year. Many more vehicles are on the way, according to officials of the Ministry of Education.

In brief remarks, Vice President Bawumia underscored President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to meeting the logistical and other needs of the education sector in order to produce well-rounded citizens.

“The President believes that the significant educational reforms that his government has rolled out since 2017 will come to naught if we do not provide the necessary logistical support for our schools to run effectively as they deliver their mandate for the Ghanaian child. Our schools have various challenges in the discharge of their administrative functions, and these vehicles, I am sure, will go a long way to help address some of these challenges.

“We are already addressing the issue of infrastructure, with massive infrastructure projects in all schools across country, with even more ongoing, in fulfilment of our pledge to make education accessible to all.”

The vehicles handed over to the schools and authorities had been fully paid for, Dr Bawumia emphasized.

“In the past, vehicles were procured by the Ministry of Education without any plan of how or when to pay for it. This often put a great deal of strain on vendors and left the Ministry wallowing in debt. I am happy to emphasize the point that these vehicles have been fully paid for. That is competence and good management. I commend the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for his stewardship at the Ministry. I also commend the Minister of Finance for his understanding and support.”

“This government,” Vice President Bawumia pledged, “will continue to invest in the education of its citizens because it is the right thing to do. We will continue to invest in our frontline managers of our educational institutions. They are central to any education reform we seek to pursue, and we must equip them with the necessary tools to enhance their work. We will not relent on this commitment.”