President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the successful implementation of the Free Senior High School policy has benefitted the entirety of Ghanaian children.

“The programme ensured access to quality secondary education in Ghana; no child under the programme was left behind due to financial challenges,” the President said.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Mr. Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports, President Akufo-Addo reiterated that the government placed education at the core of the nation’s development agenda through the Free-SHS programme.

The President made the observation at the 30th-anniversary celebration of Sandema Senior High School (SANSEC), at Sandema in the Builsa North Municipality of the Upper East Region, on the theme: “Celebrating 30years of Knowledge, integrity and Patriotism: Our Achievements and Our Future.”

He said there was an ongoing distribution of laptop computers and tablets to SHS students across the country, and that the initiative was designed to equip over 1.3 million students with digital tools to enhance learning and prepare students for the technology-driven world.

The Minister assured the management of the school that their appeal for a school bus and pick-up vehicles, headmaster’s accommodation, fence wall, assembly hall and campus road construction would be forwarded to the President for redress.

Robert Balemma Yeli-Oni, Headmaster of SANSEC, appealed to the government to support the school with infrastructure and vehicles to improve academic work.

He said the school was in dire need of a fence wall, headmaster’s accommodation, assembly hall, a bus and pick-up vehicles, and the construction of campus roads for easy movement on campus, especially during the rainy seasons and to improve academic work.

“The school needs a bus to facilitate the movement of students for sports and educational trips; the current 32-seater bus is not suitable for transporting large numbers of students ending up with several trips to be made at great cost to the school. The headmaster has no means of transport for official duties for the school,” he said.

On the issue of fence wall, the Headmaster said with the current student enrollment of 2,288, and staff strength of 197- teaching and non-teaching staff- the school urgently needed a fence wall to enhance discipline and to protect school property.

“Criminals enter the school from all directions to steal school property. The few security guards are unable to deal with this because of the many entry points,” he added.

The Headmaster said despite the school’s numerous challenges, academic performance had over the years improved significantly.

He said the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for the 2021/2023 academic year had improved as both the number of students who obtained A1-E8 passes and those who obtained A1-C6 in four core subjects gave the school an average score of 80 per cent in all the core subjects.

Mr Yeli-Oni disclosed that 673 students passed in six or more subjects, 454 had grades that qualified them for entry into tertiary institutions in the country, and the overall percentage pass for the school was 92.7 per cent, the highest in the history of the school in 2023.

He said the programme ensured access to quality secondary education in Ghana and noted that no child under the programme was left behind due to financial challenges.

James Agalga, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, said he was aware of the challenges of the school, supported the management to construct a girls’ dormitory block, and further appealed to the government to help address the school’s challenges.

He noted that the Free SHS programme had challenges, especially infrastructural deficits, and poor feeding, and reiterated that the National Democratic Congress if voted into government, would not cancel the programme, but would review it for better improvement.

Regina Teni Musah Mumuni, the School’s Board Chairperson, paid tribute to the Founders of the school for their pioneering roles from 1952, which saw the school transition from Boys Middle School to Mixed Boarding, Experimental Junior Secondary School, and now Senior High School in 1994.

She recognised that their dedication, hard work and commitment, made SANSEC a beacon of hope, and a symbol of quality education in the Region, and encouraged the current management and students of the school to embrace the legacy of excellence and continue to strive for greatness.