Gov't gives free uniforms to 504,000 pupils

The Government of Ghana distributed school uniforms to 504,070 pupils in selected deprived communities to boost enrolment and retention in basic schools, Finance Minister Seth Terkper has told Parliament.

Apart from the uniforms, Government also provided funding for Capitation Grant to pupils in public basic schools as well as subsidy for the registration of 438,000 candidates for the 2015 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), Mr Terkper said when he presented the 2016 budget to the House Friday.

“Government will continue to implement this policy in 2016,” he promised.

Mr Terkper also noted that: “A total of 1,181 candidates took part in the maiden edition of the BECE re-sit in March 2015 and were part of the placement into SHS and Technical Institutes.”

In fulfilment of the Constitutional provision of making secondary education progressively free, Mr Terkper said: “government launched the Progressively Free Secondary Education Programme at Ekumfi Otuam and provided funding for the first term of 2015/16 academic year to absorb the examination and other curricular fees for 320,488-day students in public senior high schools.”

“Government as part of its commitment to construct 200 Community Day Senior High Schools, the construction of 123 schools has commenced in earnest with 100 schools being funded by government and 23 schools by the World Bank.

“Three schools have been completed at Otuam, Bamianko and Nkwanta. Ten additional schools are expected to be completed by the end of the year,” he said.

According to him, “following the passage of the Bill by Parliament for the establishment of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in the Eastern Region, construction works …will commence in 2016.”