Headmaster of Leklebi SHS in the Volta Region has commended government for the free Senior High School policy intervention, saying the number of school dropouts in the Leklebi Township was decreasing.
Reverend Samuel Senanu Asienu students who dropped out of the School in the first year due to financial challenges and those who remained home after Junior High School were now in the School, doubling the students’ population.
Rev. Asienu who was speaking at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the School expressed gratitude to government for the policy but said the poor state of facilities in the School was undermining its effective implementation.
He said though the students’ population went up from 181 to 394 this academic year, the School had no dining hall, no kitchen, no administration block and no staff accommodation.
The Headmaster said poor internet connectivity was also making it difficult to validate staff regularly and undertake other administrative duties online, especially enrolment of fresh students.
He said the destruction of the School’s Science and Computer laboratories by fire was compelling students to trek to other schools to use their facilities and appealed for support.
Rev. Asienu also appealed to stakeholders to help construct a fence wall to protect students from reptiles and armed robbery activities.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, said government was not oblivious of the challenges confronting the smooth implementation of the free SHS policy and that the challenges identified were often common with many new policies of such wide coverage.
He gave the assurance that measures were being taken to surmount the challenges in a holistic manner to ensure that quality delivery of education was not compromised in any way.
The celebration was on the theme ‘‘Education for Development in the 21st Century, The Role of Stakeholders’’.Â