It gives me immense happiness to be present at the 25TH Anniversary and Prize Giving Ceremony of a preparatory school of such repute. I genuinely share the joy and pride of everyone associated with this school, particularly the teachers. Many of you are working hard to give our future leaders a wholesome future. I hope that your efforts will not be in vain.
Mr Chairman, the Ghanaian child today is an heir tomorrow. It is therefore important to give them holistic education for a wholesome future. Indeed, it is praiseworthy to mention that the Blessed Redeemer Preparatory School over the past 25 years has pulled resources together to transform our children, intellectually, culturally, morally and spiritually.
Throughout these years, you have inculcated the spirit of hard work, patriotism, kindness, selflessness, humility and good citizenship in the children in this municipality. I congratulate and urge you to continue.
The efforts of this great school is in consonance with the vision of our President of the Republic, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to give every Ghanaian child a holistic education to the highest level.
In an attempt to make his vision potent and relevant, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo implemented the free SHS. This policy is geared towards creating an excellent future for our children.
The free SHS has generated an overwhelming interest in education which has resulted in high enrolments in our second cycle institutions.
The government’s strategic response to this situation is the introduction of the double tracking system. The double tracking system will create adequate rooms at the end of the school year for all SHS 1 students which will allow for academic interventions.
Again all the SHS 1 get enough time to prepare for school after result are released.
What’s more, all SHS 2 students will gain additional weeks for academic interventions in school.
All SHS 3 students will gain 4 additional weeks of instructions to prepare for their WASSCE.
Ladies and gentlemen, irrespective of our religious, educational, and political backgrounds, we all subscribe to the fact that we need to educate our children to the highest level. I will encourage all and sundry to inspire our children to study hard in order to enjoy this policy. The Free SHS has come to stay!
Mr. Chairman, the more educated we are, the easy it will be for us to drive development at a faster rate. The Kwahu West Municipal Assembly is also doing its bit to improve education in the municipality. In this light, we piloted free weekend classes for final year JHS students in the municipality.
This year we have expanded the programme to cover all final year JHS students in the municipality. This is a good way to aspire realistically to a better future.
The Assembly has also commissioned a state-of-the-art library equipped with computers and modern books. I encourage our children to make good use of the facility especially the ICT Centre attached to the library.
Plans are also underway to provide mobile library Vans to bring reading to the doorstep of our children in remote communities.
In addition, we are providing structures and resources to ensure that all children will have full access to quality and affordable education.
It is our central goal to pursue with urgency an agenda to improve education thus we will require the full participation of all present here today.
To the school authorities, strive to make your school a conductive place for learning and put strategies that will develop the creative side of our children.
To the teachers, teach our children to be responsible leaders. Mould them to change their own societies positively and to gradually replace the external forces who today appear, and indeed sometimes seek to control our destinies.
To the students of this school, I convey my very warm congratulations on this special day.
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. Commit yourselves to learning and stop wasting your time on TV, whatsApp, facebook, and fruitless relationships.
It is my hope and prayer that the education and training that you will acquire will enable you to assume positions of leadership in your communities, and even beyond.
Mr. Chairman, parents and guardians are key to the success of education thus the best thing we can do now is to invest in the education of our children. I urge you to do all you can to promote knowledge and learning in line with our tradition and great culture.
Mr. Chairman, permit me to reiterate what Nelson Mandela once said “An educated, enlightened and informed population is one of the surest ways of promoting the health of democracy”.
Once again congratulations on your anniversary
Thank you.