Betty Krosby Mensah speaking at the forum
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Betty Efua Krosby Mensah has asked Ghanaians, and for that matter politicians, not to politicise the free Senior High School (SHS) education because it is a policy that will greatly benefit the girl-child especially those in the rural areas.
She said even though she is a member of the opposition NDC, the introduction of the free SHS by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has come to give hope to many girl-children who are unable to continue to the SHS level because their parents do not have money to push them and eventually become teenage mothers.
She said it is therefore imperative for these young girls in the rural areas to take advantage of the free SHS and continue with their education to the highest level.
She has therefore advised girl-children who otherwise did not have any hope of continuing their education to learn hard and continue at the SHS to become independent and responsible adults who can take proper care of their children.
According to her, the implementation of the policy may have its teething problems but it would be wrong for anybody to criticise or politicise the policy as whole.
“To me, this free SHS is going to solve a lot of problems for girl-children and poor parents in the rural areas who cannot afford to enroll their girl-children at the SHS level to continue with their education after finishing Junior High School”.
The Afram Plains North MP who is also a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Gender, Children and Social Protection, was speaking at a forum organised by the Committee at Assin Asamankese for the people of Assin South in the Central Region on the importance of education and the need for parents in the area to send their girl-child to school.
She said parents must know that they also have a responsibility to ensure that they provide whatever their daughters need at home and in school so that they would have the concentration to study.
She said in parliament, all the young MPs have decided to form a coalition to become advocates for the youth and to ensure that every youth gets good education and good job since the future is for them.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr