The School of Thought, a youth-led organisation has held an educational fair to offer SHS3 students in the various senior high schools in the Northern region the opportunity to make informed choices when looking to enrol in the country's universities.

The programme aims to enhance students' abilities, providing them with opportunities they might otherwise not have.

The Start Right event brought together six universities to engage with the students and offer them the opportunity to understand the pool of options available for higher education.

According to the School of Thought event organisers, most students from northern Ghana are limited to just a few institutions they see in the area even though there are several opportunities out in the world to choose from.

Speaking at the event in Tamale, the founder of the School of Thought, Abraham Agoni said that students in the Northern regions have access to many opportunities nationwide. However, a lack of awareness leads them to limit their choices to just a few schools in the region. The event is designed to help students connect with various universities, explore different programmes, and understand the opportunities available to final-year students.

“People from northern Ghana often find themselves limited to nursing or teacher training colleges. While these are good options, there is concern that they may be missing out on many other opportunities available in other parts of the country,” he said.

Mr. Agoni said since the establishment of the organisation, they have hosted similar events in the Northeast region and are eager to reach more students.

The president of the National Union of Ghana Students, (NUGS) Kyereh Oppong Daniel, who spoke at the event narrated how he moved from a lesser-grade student to his current position.

He said the hard work he put into his academy work has yielded results, adding that the position he holds now gives him the privilege to meet with people he wouldn't have been able to.

Mr Kyereh encouraged the students to look beyond the boundaries of the North and take advantage of the opportunities the world has to offer.

He said the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been advocating for the uncapping of the GETFund to allow it to receive more funding for the development of the education sector.

He said when that is done, it will improve the infrastructure levels of schools and the various universities which will help make education cheaper for students.

"One key thing is that GETFund is not solely funding scholarships; it is also financing infrastructure projects and other initiatives. Currently, we have over 5,000 classrooms situated under trees, and these conditions could improve significantly with a secure source of funding to support these efforts," Mr Kyereh said.

He said government cannot be giving scholarships to students who no the end have no place to reside and study.

A female student from Ambariya Senior High School, who said she initially planned to pursue a nursing programme, said that she is now reconsidering her plans and may choose a different course at the university due to the additional information she received at the educational event.

"At first I wanted to be a nurse but through what they gave us today, I have a lot of information and now I am thinking of changing my profession," she said.

Another student from Saint Charles Minor Seminary said the fair has helped change his perception of how to confront his challenges.