President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his address at the 61st Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) held in Accra, listed the significant investments made in the education sector since he assumed office in 2017.
The President highlighted key statistics and accomplishments that underscore the government’s commitment to enhancing the quality and accessibility of education in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo revealed that a substantial sum of GH¢114.5 billion (GH¢114,500,612,135) had been allocated for education, with GH¢12.9 billion (GH¢12,961,284,548) directed solely to the Free Senior High School (SHS) program.
This financial commitment he said reflects the government’s determination to provide quality education for all Ghanaian students.
In the pursuit of this vision, the President noted that 1,105 infrastructure projects were initiated in 925 SHS.
These constructions he said include 406 classroom blocks, science laboratories, home economics blocks, 386 dormitory blocks, 233 toilet facilities, and the establishment of 9 model Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) senior high schools across the nation.
Additional investments covered the provision of 280,000 laptops for teachers, 350 buses, 840 pick-up vehicles, and 1,500 motorcycles for schools.
Further, 677,470 pieces of furniture were provided to enhance learning environments. An additional initiative, the “1-laptop-1-student” program, aimed to distribute 450,000 tablets to students.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized the positive impact of these investments on the academic performance of students.
Comparing post-Free SHS results with pre-2017 data, the President provided impressive statistics.
He said In the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 60.4% of students achieved grades A1-C6 in English, up from 51.6% in 2016. For Integrated Science, the pass rate increased from 48.35% in 2016 to 62.45% in 2022, despite a slight regression from the 2021 pass rate of 65.70%.
Mathematics he said saw a remarkable improvement, with 61.39% of students achieving A1-C6, compared to 33.12% in 2016. Social Studies also exhibited progress, with 71.51% achieving A1-C6 in 2022, compared to 54.55% in 2016.
