Free SHS possible only at the expense of other sectors - Dansua

Ms Akua Sena Dansua, Minister of Tourism has said free education at the Senior High School (SHS) level was only possible when development in other sectors were kept at bay.

She said education was the hallmark for accelerated growth and therefore could not be reduced to partisan politics in a bid to sway votes.

Ms Dansua also the Member of Parliament for North Dayi, made the remark at the commissioning of a GH¢150,000 six-unit classroom with ancillary components for the Gbefi Anobi Junior High School, financed from the Ghana Education Trust Fund.

She said the government of the National Democratic Congress was embarking on a progressive and sustained journey of improving school infrastructure, quality and access to perk up the human resource base, which was an appropriate measure of addressing issues in the sector than the choice of free SHS.

Ms Dansua said many more development projects were in the next “Better Ghana Agenda 2” and urged the people to vote massively to retain the NDC.

Mr. Francis K. Ganyaglo, Kpando Municipal Chief Executive, said 25 schools under trees, which constituted half of the number in the Municipality, have been eliminated.

He enumerated some achievements in the education sector as increased Capitation, distribution of 4,278 and 217,656 free school uniforms and exercise books to basic schools respectively, supply of 1,600 mono desks, 650 Kindergarten desks, 25 schools on feeding programme, and allocation of motor-bikes to circuit supervisors.

Mr. Ganyaglo observed that government needed collaborative support from the community and other stakeholders to co-finance education and appealed to the traditional authorities to institute an education endowment fund to cushion the education of brilliant but-needy members of the community.

He warned that the Assembly would not take kindly to the commercialization of the facility, saying appropriate sanctions would be imposed on culprits.

Mr. Paul Afodofe, representative of the Kpando Municipal Directorate of Education said government was leaving no stone unturned in its quest to provide quality education.

He urged the school’s authorities to be vigilant and prevent students from defacing the building to expand its longevity.

Togbe Danku Yao V, Chief of Gbefi-Hoeme indicated the imposing edifice should motivate teachers and students to reverse the zero percentage score rates to 100 per cent as there was no excuse resulting from dilapidated structures.

He appealed to the authorities to increase the capitation grant as deductions have rendered the facility inadequate and almost irrelevant.

A 30,000 palm-oil extraction complex for the Gbefi-Hueme community was inaugurated as part of the event.