Government will provide the necessary resources to the country’s tertiary institutions to expand their infrastructure to meet the expected rise in the student population following the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has assured.
He said the Nana Akufo-Addo government will also provide opportunities for continuous hiring and training of the necessary human resources to facilitate proper teaching and learning.
Speaking at the 22nd Congregation of the University of Education, Winneba on Saturday, Dr Bawumia said government had been mindful of the expected increase in tertiary admissions and was working assiduously to provide the necessary funding to address the infrastructure challenges before the first batch of the FSHS complete in 2020 and seek admissions.
The FSHS initiative aims to provide Senior High School education to every qualified Ghanaian child who completes the Basic level of education at no cost to parents in order to remove the barrier of finance which has undoubtedly deprived Ghana of many potential leaders.
“As a nation, we have a responsibility and an obligation to invest in our students and our schools. It is our responsibility to ensure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will to pursue education can still get the best education possible and should not be held back by financial constraints,” the Vice President underscored.
“Surely, Government knows very much that the free SHS policy inevitably means a boost in enrollment figures in our senior high schools. We are aware that this will consequently lead to a greater demand for expansion in tertiary education. Government, however, is prepared and ready to support higher education institutions to be able absorb these huge numbers. We will do our utmost best to improve upon facilities and offer adequate resources to these institutions to capacitate them to deliver on their mandates.”
Government, Vice President Bawumia indicated, is also broadening the national educational policy and optimizing resource delivery to attract more students and teachers.
“At the core of the education development and improvement plan of every nation is the teacher. A well trained, confident, and contented teacher is essential in the delivery of quality education. This is why Government is committed to the Teacher Professional Development Projects (T-TEL).
“I am told that the University of Education, Winneba currently serves as the only university in the West African sub region which has the mandate and capacity to train teachers in technical and vocational education through competency-based training (CBT). Government is therefore ever prepared to partner with you, UEW in your TVET programmes.”
A total of 16,153 students received Certificates, Diplomas, First and second Degrees and Postgraduate awards at the University’s 22nd Congregation.
-Starrfmonline