Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, the Deputy General Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy has contributed to the reduction of teenage pregnancy in schools.
The Free SHS policy was launched in September 2017 at the West Africa Secondary School in Accra on January 7, 2017.
Delivering the key note address at the 61st Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in Accra in October 2023, President Akufo-Addo said the policy had salvaged the issue of school dropout.
He stated that some of the students could not afford the fees even though they had the qualification.
“They could not afford the fees even though they had the qualifications. If this situation had persisted for a decade, one million people would have dropped out of school at the level of junior high school, an unacceptable outcome for any nation in the 20th century.
“It would have been too dangerous for Ghana’s stability as we would have been building a future of hopelessness for our youth. Such a situation was intolerable and my party and I were determined to end it,” Akufo Addo added.
Reacting to issues on the policy in an exclusive interview with host of Atinka FM’s “AM Drive” with Nana Fianko, Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, the Deputy General Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), added that the Free SHS has also salvaged the issue of teenage pregnancy in our schools.
She says but for Free SHS policy, some girls would not have enjoyed the policy as a result of teenage pregnancy.
“The statistics are there to explain the reduction in teenage pregnancy as a result of the Free SHS policy. See, the free SHS policy has relieved burden off parents. If after every term, parents were to receive bills that have been paid for as a result of the policy, I am sure that they will be amazed. I am sure they will see the monies that they are saving as a result of the policy. Gone were the days parents panic at the mention of school reopening, it is in the past now the most important aspect is for your ward to be placed,” Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko explained.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu
