Ghana to commence free secondary school policy in September

The President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that his government will fund the cost of public Senior High Schools (SHS) for all those who qualify for entry beginning from the 2017/2018 academic year in September.

"By free SHS, we mean that, in addition to tuition which is already free, there will be no admission fees, no library fees, no science centre fees, no computer laboratory fees, no examination fees, no utility fees; there will be free textbooks, free boarding and free meals, and day students will get a meal at school for free," he said on Saturday.

Akufo-Addo said this in a speech as the Special Guest of Honor at the 60th anniversary celebration of Akuapeman Senior High School in the Eastern Region.

Speaking on the theme: "One Vision, Many Lives", the President noted that a society that aims to transform itself into a modern, productive player in the global market needs an educated workforce; and that means it must get its educational policies right.

He said the fact that Ghana has been unable to give all its citizens the education which has enabled the countries of the West and of Asia to thrive is the missing link in the country's economic development.

For this reason, the president said he is committed to taking Ghana to the stage where public SHS education will be free for every Ghanaian child.

He said his administration will also focus on the provision of incentives that will motivate teachers, and reward their hard work in the classroom.

The free SHS policy was one of the campaign promises of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the last electioneering campaigns. Endit