Minister for Education Yaw Osei Adutwum, has pointed out that over 500,000 students have so far been placed in various Senior High Schools across the country in the ongoing 2023 school placement exercise.
According to Dr Adutwum, the vast increment in the enrollment recorded follows the introduction of the free SHS policy by President Akufo-Addo government.
“When free senior high school started in 2017, there were 830,000 students enrolled in our high schools across the country. This year, we have had a record placement of over 500,000 students.
The 830,000 was for three years, this year alone, 500,000 have found schools and we are waiting anxiously for them to enrol in our various high schools across the country. That tells you something about what is taking place in this country [as far as education is concerned]” the minister said.
He made the disclosure on Friday, March 3, 2023, when speaking at the 2023 President’s Independence Day Awards at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The ceremony saw the president presenting awards to 36 deserving students for the year 2021 and 36 students for the year 2022, bringing the total to 72.
The President’s Independence Day Awards, since its inception in 1993, annually rewards young, brilliant students (male and female) between the ages of 14 and 19 from all the regions of Ghana.
The awardees are selected based on their exceptional academic performances in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The objectives are essentially, to recognize and reward academic excellence and to promote and encourage students with additional educational needs.
Meanwhile, the 2021 ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was therefore inculcated into the 2022 edition.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum used the opportunity and applauded the awardees for their achievements and he urged them not to relent in their efforts to climb up the academic ladder at the various senior high schools they have been admitted to.
On his part, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reiterated the government’s commitment to continue to implement policies and programmes in ensuring the education system in Ghana becomes better.
