Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the introduction of the free Senior High School policy by the Akufo-Addo-led government was meant largely to cater for the less privileged in society, with the core aim of accelerating the country's development in the long term.
Dr. Bawumia, while addressing the media recently, reiterated that though the Free SHS policy had been put in place in 2017 to address increased access, it was also to help break the poverty cycle of many families in Ghana. The Vice President explained that such a policy was a deliberate strategy to ensure that every Ghanaian child, irrespective of their socio-economic background, could have the opportunity to complete secondary education, which is a very important rung on the ladder of future successes.
The Free SHS policy was, therefore, introduced to take away the noxious burden from families, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds in life, and to give them an opportunity to stride forward in life," Dr. Bawumia said. He explained that it was for this reason that making secondary education free would equip the youth with knowledge and skills to take part in the development process of the country effectively.
The Vice President also spoke to the increased enrolment in the secondary schools since the implementation of the policy, and how this has seen young people in the rural and deprived communities access education that was hitherto beyond their reach. This, he indicated, was a massive turn of events for human capital development in Ghana, tied to the progress of the country at large.
Dr. Bawumia reiterated that Free SHS is rather an investment in Ghana's future. He said this is in line with the government's wider agenda to create a more educated workforce that would contribute toward faster national development and push the country into a middle-income economy.
The introduction of Free SHS has widely been regarded as one of the flagship policies by the Akufo-Addo administration. It has also brought debates on its sustainability and the challenges it holds for the nation's purse. However, Dr. Bawumia's comments point at the unalloyed commitment that the government will ensure no Ghanaian child is left behind in an effort to succeed, irrespective of whatever background they come from.
This, according to him, demonstrates that Free SHS is only but an aspect of the big vision to ensure quality education, create jobs, and increase opportunities for all Ghanaians.
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