The NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, received enthusiastic support and warm reception from beneficiaries of the Free SHS program at Wechau in the Wa Central Constituency on Monday.
Currently on his campaign tour of the Upper West Region, the Vice President engaged with the community in Wechau, where a large number of Free SHS beneficiaries, including graduates and current students, turned out to show their support. They cheered Dr. Bawumia with excitement as he interacted with them.
The Free SHS policy, initiated by the Akufo-Addo government in 2017, is widely recognized as Ghana’s most significant social intervention program since independence. It has led to a substantial increase in secondary education enrollment, rising from 800,000 to over 1.4 million students nationwide.
Before the policy, statistics indicated that many girls ended their education at the junior high school level due to financial constraints, while more boys enrolled in senior high schools. However, the implementation of Free SHS has effectively eliminated this disparity, achieving gender parity in secondary school enrollment and ensuring that both girls and boys have equal access to education.
Traditional leaders, parents, and students who have benefited from the policy have openly expressed their deep gratitude to the government for providing educational opportunities to Ghanaians who would otherwise have been unable to attend school due to financial challenges or other obstacles.
