AU Hails Ghana’s Free SHS
Thomas Kwesi Quartey |
The African Union Commission has commended the Government of Ghana
for implementing the Free Senior High School policy, indicating that it
is a sure way of ensuring the growth of the country and Africa as a
whole.
Ambassador Thomas Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, African Union
Commission, who gave the commendation while speaking at an
UNCTAD-organised High Level Panel Discussion in Geneva, Switzerland,
said the beginning of Free SHS in Ghana would give greater impetus to
the AU’s agenda of having every African child in school by the end of
the decade.
UNCTAD is the United Nations body responsible for development issues,
particularly international trade as the main driver of development.
“Africa has the largest number of young people, and this commission
has at its theme Education, Education, Education. It is in that spirit
that I would like to commend the government of Ghana, at the risk of
sounding unduly nationalist, that the SHS programme, the free compulsory
secondary school programme that they have introduced, is really an idea
whose time has come, and Ghana is to be commended for it,” Ambassador
Quartey declared.
The ambition of the African Union, Amb. Quartey said, is to have every African child in school by the year 2020.
“We would like to have a literate and a numerate Africa. We want an
Africa where illiteracy is a thing of the past. With a literate and
numerate Africa, the continent would be ready now to imbibe technology,
apply science and technology, and find solutions.”
Any effort in this direction is therefore highly commendable, Amb
Quartey indicated, and the introduction of Free SHS in Ghana is a very
welcome development.
“Your Excellency, you and Ghana are to be highly commended,” the Deputy AU Commissioner told Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The panel discussion, organised by the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), is under the theme “Accelerating
Progress in Building Productive Capacities in Least Developing Countries
and Other Vulnerable Developing Economies”.
It brought together a team of decision makers and world leaders
including Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Ms.
Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, High-Representative and
Under-Secretary-General for OHRLLS, New York; and Ms. Hu Xiaolian,
Chairman, China-Exim Bank.
The rest are Dr. Celestin Monga, Vice-President and Chief Economist,
African Development Bank, Abidjan; Mr. Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, Deputy
Director-General, UNIDO; Dr. Robert Wade, Professor, London School of
Economics and Political Science; and Ghana’s Vice President, Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia.
-Starrfmonline
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