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EDUCATION

Free SHS/TVET benefit 2.5 million students – Deputy Minister

Nearly 2.5 million students in Ghana have benefited from the government's Free Senior High School (SHS) and the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes, the Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, a Deputy Minister of Education, has said.

Date Created : 8/11/2023 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Dennis Peprah/GNA

Since 2017, the Government had expanded educational infrastructure as more than 1,140 facilities nationwide, comprising dining halls, dormitories, ICT centres, classroom blocks and libraries for SHS and TVET schools had been constructed, he said.

Rev. Fordjour, also the Member of Parliament for Assin South in the Central Region, disclosed this when he inaugurated a 100-bed capacity hostel with 150 bunk beds with mattresses for the Yamfo Anglican SHS at Yamfo in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.

The girls’ hostel was constructed by Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, and MP for Tano North, to improve admission of girls to the school.

Rev Fordjour said despite the increased enrolment, the implementation of the Free SHS/TVET had not compromised quality and standard of education and stressed the Government’s determination to strengthen the programmes to benefit more students.

The Government had prioritised girl-child education and was doing everything possible to bridge the long existing gap between boys and girls, the rich and the poor, and deprived and urban communities, he said.

Rev. Fordjour advised SHS students to capitalise on the huge government investment, remain disciplined, and take their studies seriously to improve performance.

Dr. Prempeh, on her part, said quality education remained the key to unlocking the potential of the Ghanaian child, and “by investing in their educational infrastructure, we are also investing in the future of our nation”.

“This hostel facility would not only provide accommodation for students but would also foster a sense of community and camaraderie... It would be a place where friendships are formed, knowledge is shared, and life-long memories are created”.

Dr. Prempeh expressed optimism that with the hostel, the challenges of inadequate accommodation at the school would be addressed to aid the girls to focus on their studies.

She commended the management and staff of the school for their hard work, pivotal role, and unwavering support towards shaping the lives of the students.

The Rev. Canon Barnabas Kofi Okoh, the Headmaster of the school, expressed appreciation to Dr. Prempeh for her unflinching support towards enhancing the school’s infrastructure and appealed for more support.