'Don't Discredit Free SHS for Parochial Interest'

By Bernard Benghan

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Export-Import (Exim) Bank, Mr Lawrence Agyinsam, has appealed to political parties not to discredit the Free Senior High School Policy for their parochial interest.

He said the policy was one of the best social interventions that must be supported to increase enrolment in SHS education, to eradicate the high rate of illiteracy in the country.

"Let us value the implementation of the Free SHS policy as education is critical in shaping human capacity to improve economic development.

"Issues of education must be priority to stakeholders if we want to witness productivity and progress. Let us channel our opinion rather on how to sustain the policy for future generations," he said.

Mr Agyinsam expressed these sentiments on Saturday, at the 13th Speech and Prize Giving Day and 78th anniversary celebrations of Ebenezer Senior High School (Padua) in Accra.

The event which was on the theme, 'Challenges facing day SHS: the role of stakeholders' brought together old students and tutors as well as major stakeholders.

Mr Agyinsam called on all Ghanaians to assist the government in finding amicable solutions to challenges confronting the policy to ensure its sustainability.

The headmaster of Padua, Mr Richard Kofi Mensah, called on stakeholders to support the school in the area of academics, infrastructural development of all kinds, and extra-curricular activities.

He mentioned inadequate classrooms and Information Communication Technology Centre and Science Laboratory as their major challenges.

Mr Mensah appealed to chiefs and community leaders in the area to assist the managements of the school to clamp down on some hoodlums who come into the school's premises to cause mayhem.

The global presidents of Padua Old Students Association, Mr Lloyd Evans, urged the government to reconsider the ban on Parent Teacher Association (PTA) levy in SHS.

He explained that the ban had stalled projects being undertaken by PTAs in various schools.

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