Rev. Ntim Fordjuor delivering his address at the lecture.
THE DEPUTY Minister for Education (MoE), Rev. Ntim Fordjuor has touted the credentials of the government’s flagship program, the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy describing it as a ‘national success story’ and the ‘best gift’ from President Akufo-Addo’s government to Ghana’s posterity.
He intimated that despite the contribution of successive governments in laying the foundation for Ghana’s education sector, many more people were “still left out” from accessing quality education – a situation he said always allowed the rich people to realise their true dreams while the poor wallowed in poverty with no one to support them.
The Free SHS policy, therefore, came as the game-changer in ensuring that every child, regardless of who gave birth to them, can access quality education.
Mr. Fordjuor made these remarks in a keynote address at a public lecture held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in honour of President Akufo-Addo.
“Education is an investment that pays off. Free SHS is monumental. The success of free SHS is a national success story. It is the best gift government is giving to posterity”, he stated.
The Minister was however quick to acknowledge that while the policy has improved the quality of education in the country, there was still the need for more improvement, saying the government was always ready to welcome views and ideas on improving the policy.
“We must keep listening. Government has a posture of listening to all ideas and views to make the policy better. We will not discount any idea”, he pledged.
The Rector of GIMPA, Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu also asserted that Ghanaians have seen the immense value of the free SHS policy, indicating that it “has led us into believing that we can lead ourselves” in our education sector by allowing us to recognise the possibility and value of free education, adding “we should take charge of our destinies.”
“What we need to do to improve the policy is by hearing the voices, even the dissenting voices; and through discussions and debates, we can have a clear view of sustaining this great idea that the president, in his wisdom, has initiated”.
The public lecture was organized by the Institute for Transgenerational Leaders led by its Executive Secretaries, Tony Marshall Adoninaab, Lawrence Kwesi Botchway Jnr. and Odeneho Oppong Prince.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio