Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has highlighted the transformative impact of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, particularly on girl-child education in Ghana.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Matthew Opoku Prempeh Hostel at the University of Professional Studies in Accra on Tuesday, November 19, he emphasized that the policy has significantly increased access to education for girls.
He cited data from Africa Education Watch, which indicates that over 2.5 million students have benefited from Free SHS since its inception, with a notable rise in female enrolment.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh encouraged Ghanaians to support the NPP in the upcoming December 7 elections, advocating for continued impactful leadership to sustain and expand such transformative policies.
“Ghana is at the crossroads. We want people, or we should elect people, who will make great transformative leadership. Not people who will come and get our vote because they just want our vote. Not voting for sentimental reasons because we live within reality. We don’t live within sentiments. We don’t live within clichés. We live in the practical aspect of day-to-day transformation in people’s lives.
“People forget that nearly 100,000 students every year couldn’t go to school because our end certificate was BECE. And they have passed and couldn’t go to secondary school. And when you finish BECE, the certificate doesn’t qualify you to apply for any job in the country. And these 100,000 students were left out of our country’s system. Free SHS has transformed their lives.”
