The 16th Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) paid a courtesy call on him has said the Akufo-Addo Free SHS project introduced in 2017 cannot be successful without them.
In a brief address to the leadership of the Teacher Union, his Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II urged the central government to prioritize teachers in the country for them to have a sound mind to teach the students well.
“If teachers in the country are not taken very good care of, how can the Nana Akufo-Addo led government Free Senior High School (Free SHS) initiative become successful, teachers have to be taken care of,” Asantehene stated.
He similarly encouraged Ghanaian teachers to from their free will teach prospective students under the Senior High School program for them to become responsible citizens adding that God will bless teachers for their kind gesture.
Started in September 2017, the Free SHS is a policy of the government for every child in Ghana who qualifies for and is placed in a public Senior High School for his secondary education to have his/her fees absorbed by the government.
The second batch of the initiative early this month completed the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) which is their final examination for them to further their education at the tertiary level.
A total of 446,321 final year students representing 221,437 males and 234,884 females from 965 schools i.e 651 public schools and 314 private schools in Ghana sat for the international examination at 763 centres across the country.
In a developing story, the leadership of Teacher Unions on Tuesday will meet with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to discuss issues of the non-payment of salaries of public teachers without a Ghana Card.
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The meeting follows a warning issued by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to withhold the salaries of government workers who do not register for the national identification card by the end of November 2021.