Over 100 Senior High School students from the La-Nkwantanang Madina municipality and its environs, have been selected to participate in the maiden University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Free Vacation Classes programme which began Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

The tuition-free classes, earmarked for pre-SHS, SHS and remedial students living within the University’s catchment area, is the brainchild of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Feehi Okoe Amartey and administered by the Language Centre of UPSA under its community action initiative.

Speaking at a brief orientation ceremony to kick start the 6-week class, Dean of Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies (FITC), Dr John Bosco Damnyag, who is also one of the tutors for the programme said “lecturers for the classes have carefully been chosen to meet the academic needs of students.”

He said the team also took into consideration the GES syllables, educational levels, subject needs and what is required of students at the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to structure the content of materials for teaching.

Dr Damnyag, therefore, urged participants to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the University to strengthen themselves in areas they are deficient.

During this period, students will benefit from lessons in subjects including Mathematics, Integrated Science, English, French, ICT and an introductory course in Leadership - this according to the Coordinator of the programme, Mr Mohammed Sadat is to imbibe the spirit of community service in the students and nurture their leadership skills to enable them take up leadership roles in their schools and within their communities.

Mr Sadat said close to 500 applicants applied for the first edition but his team had to screen the list to the current number to ensure they made the needed impact.

He also revealed that tuition will be expanded to cover all subjects in the next editions as the Vice-Chancellor yearns to make it an annual programme.

“This initiative is our way of giving back to the community and it is the vision of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Okoe Amartey, that this programme is a made an annual one on the calendar of the University,” the coordinator confirmed.

Meanwhile, participants had the rare privilege of tasting university life as they toured some facilities on campus and were taken through academic programmes.