Free SHS: 51-year-old woman starts basic school at Ayigya

A fifty-one-year-old primary three pupil at Ayigya M/A Primary School at Ayigya in the Oforikrom municipality of the Ashanti Region said the mockery by her classmates and other colleagues will not deter her from enjoying the government’s ‘free senior high school’ policy in fulfilling her dream of becoming an educated person.

Rahanatu Usman, a mother of four and a trader, also said apart from acquiring knowledge to upgrade her skills in trading, she wanted to inspire both young and old people who did not get the chance of going to school to emulate her.

She, however, noted that it was not easy combining school and business.

She revealed this in an interview with Otec News' reporters Lydia Bemah Okyere and Beauty Fremah on Thursday, July 12, 2018, during break time in the morning at the school premises.

Rahanatu, whose daughter is in class six in the same school said “I will take advantage of the free education to acquire knowledge. My children (mates), as she referred to, in class sometimes laugh at me when I enter the classroom or unable to answer questions. In spite of these, I have kept on my focus and I believe I will pass the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to allow me enjoy the free senior high school education, though it’s not easy competing with mates who are my children and grandchildren”.

“I didn’t get the chance of going to school when I was young because of my poor family background. I sometimes feel sad when I see my year mates who have occupied higher positions in the society due to their educational backgrounds. That has motivated me to also have myself educated so that I can also read and write and have some basic skills in trading. Why don’t I take advantage of the government’s free education policy at the high school to equip myself with skills,” she added.

Wearing a khaki school uniform with a white veil on her head, Usman Rahanatu told Otec News that it wasn’t easy at the start but with the support of her family and teachers of the school, she has gained progress in studying and learning.

“When I first started class one in 2017, I didn’t know how to even recite the English alphabets and write my name, now I can confidently say I can do all these things without difficulties. My rapid improvements gained me a promotion from class one to class three. I now feel happy in the classroom because I can answer questions without difficulties,” she confidently said.

Rahanatu, who trades in her ‘water-selling’ business after school hours, advised the youth to take advantage of their early ages to enrol at school to equip themselves with knowledge for their future, with the advent of free senior high school in the country.