Vice President presents awards to 20 Best BECE students
The vice-president, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, has presented the 2015 President’s Independence Day Awards to 20 best -performing students in the Basic School Certificate Examination (BECE) drawn from the 10 regions of the country at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.
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The event, which was held on Saturday on the theme: “Investing in the Youth for Ghana’s Transformation”, saw 13 students from public basic schools and seven from private institutions receiveing certificates, scholarships to cover boarding and lodging for the duration of their senior high school (SHS) education and cash for the purchase of books.
Their selection was based on their performance in the BECE, participation in co-curricular activities, particularly their involvement in school club activities, sports, community service and leadership roles, exemplary conduct, good moral behaviour, and other special qualities of excellence.
School enrolment
Mindful of the expected increase in enrolment at the basic level, the Vice-President said the government had initiated interventions at the SHS level to provide access to the increasing number of junior high school (JHS) students graduating to SHS.
Among the interventions, he said, were the progressively free secondary education policy and the construction of community day SHSs, of which four had been inaugurated and were now in use.
He stated that under the secondary education improvement project, 50 schools had been selected for expansion, while 125 others were benefiting from facility and quality improvement, with the aim of bringing quality education to the doorstep of JHS graduates.
He also disclosed that 55,000 girls in JHS in 75 deprived districts had been provided with scholarships and take-home rations under the girls’ participatory approach to student success programme to bridge the gender gap at the basic school level.
Additionally, 800 girls commuting to school from distant places had been provided with bicycles to encourage the retention of the girl-child in school.
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Absorption of fees
Mr Amissah-Arthur indicated that the government expended more than GH¢ 12.2 million to absorb the recurrent fees of more than 320,000 SHS day students under the first phase of the progressively free SHS programme.
He added that the amount would be increased to extend the benefits to more students.
He intimated that in the 2014/15 academic year, more than 2,000 students benefited under the secondary education improvement project which saw the provision of scholarships for needy students.
“We expect to increase the number in the current academic year,” he added.
Performance in Science and Maths
Bemoaning the poor performance of students in Science and Mathematics over the years, Mr Amissah-Arthur said it had become the priority of the government to train teachers in the field of Science and Mathematics.
He affirmed that 1,500 teachers had benefited from the enhanced methodology for improving teaching and learning programme, especially in Mathematics and Science, adding that at the SHS level, Mathematics and Science teachers had been trained, while the heads of low-performing SHSs had also been trained to improve their leadership skills.
“It is, therefore, the anticipation of the government that the 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will see an improvement in Mathematics and Science,” he added.
While congratulating the students, the Vice-President said the government recognised the need to improve education delivery, given the critical role it played in the transformation agenda, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to invest in the youth by providing them with opportunities to contribute to national development.
Education minister
The Minister of Education, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, said about 400 students had benefited from the President’s Independence Day Awards since it was instituted in 1993 to recognise the hard work and excellence of basic school students.
She expressed satisfaction that some past award winners had become respected and efficient professionals in many fields such as medicine, law, business and education.
“You continue to inspire many, especially the younger generation,” she told the awardees, and expressed the hope that they would live up to expectation.
According to the minister, the theme postulated a reflection on the goals of transformation in the country that were achievable by investing in the youth.
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Earlier, the Managing Director of Nestle Ghana Limited, headline sponsors of the event, Mrs Freda Duplan, expressed her outfit’s commitment to empower the youth through education.