Blow The Exams & Shame Naysayers …Nana Raps Free SHS Students

 PRESIDENT Nana Akufo-Addo has encouraged the first-batch of beneficiaries of the free Senior High school (SHS) policy to work hard and excel in their examination.

According to him, opponents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, strongly kicked against the implementation of the social intervention programme.

The President said the detractors of the free SHS are praying that the first-batch of students of the free SHS programme would fail their examination so they could score a political point.

In this regard, he has tasked the students, who would write the West Africa Examination Council (WASSCE) next year to study hard and pass their examination so to shame the detractors.

“To you final year students, I will urge you to study hard and pass your final examination in order to shame the naysayers, who said the policy is not possible now but in 20 years time”.

The President was speaking during the 70th annual Speech and Prize Giving Day of Prempeh College on Saturday. Former President Kufuor and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II were present.

President Nana Akufo-Addo justified his government’s firm decision of implementing the free SHS policy three years ago, saying that the immense benefits of the programme is clear for all to see.

According to him, 1.2 million students in the various secondary schools in the country are benefiting from the policy, saying that but for the policy “at least 400,000 of them would have been dropouts”.

The President said statistics showed that a staggering 100,000 students, who have passed their BECE examinations, could not go to secondary schools annually due to poverty.

He said the number of students that were being dropped out of school after Junior High School (SHS) was a threat to the security and future of the country, so he decided to step in to halt the trend.

The President expressed confidence that the citizenry would retain the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in power so they could continue to protect the free SHS policy for future generations.

Former President John Kufuor called for attention to be given to the character formation of children, who are the future leaders, so that they would grow to become patriotic and hard working people.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh , the Education Minister, said the free SHS policy has also led to massive infrastructural development in the various secondary schools in the country.

He stated that the massive infrastructural development in the schools, especially Prempeh College, was an ample proof that indeed President Nana Akufo-Addo cherishes education.