Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Rev. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni has commended government for taking what he calls the boldest decision in the country’s educational sector with the introduction of the free SHS policy and its accompanying Double Track system.
According to the Acting Vice Chancellor, the policy has great potential in providing a strong cornerstone for development and called on all to support the policy to minimize implementation hitches.
Speaking at an interaction with traditional leaders and the people of Effutu in the Central Region, the UEW VC, indicated, the University has commissioned a research to track the SHS preparation and admission intake for Effutuman kids over the next five years.
“I have charged the Dean of the faculty of Education studies to initiate and lead a research that will track SHS preparation and admission intake for Effutuman kids over the next five years. Through the study, we hope to help both the Effutuman and the government to monitor and evaluate the Free SHS policy and its connected double-track system within the municipality.”
“We must emphasize that free SHS is the boldest and best educational policy initiatives that our nation has seen. This is because this policy has great potential in providing a strong cornerstone for development, we must all lend our unflinching support and commitment to the government to ensure its huge success,” he averred.
Rev. Prof. Afful-Broni says the University of Education is committed to the cause of the Free SHS policy and announced plans by the University to absorb the first batch of the free SHS system. He posits the university prepared the grounds to expand their intake in 2020 to help absorb many of the free SHS graduates.
“To show our strong commitment to the government’s vision of providing expanded access to high tertiary education through the Free SHS policy, this University has taken practical steps to absorb the huge number of applicants that will seek admission to our various programmes during the 2020 academic year when the first batch of the free SHS will be due to enter University.”
“Designs have been completed and contracts are about to be awarded for the construction of 8 pavilions, each with 550 seat capacity, all in anticipation of the arrival of the first batch of the free SHS students. We are increasing and expanding Wi-Fi access to ease research, teaching and learning, we are bringing on board more resources and more lecturers are being employed to meet the numbers,” he stated.
The Acting VC commended government for introducing the double track system. According to him, the double track system is an internationally acclaimed system that breeds quality and ensures equity.
“We at UEW are happy that government has again come up with another initiative, the SHS double-track system to salvage the situation. The double track system is acknowledged, internationally, as useful educational policy that ensures an equitable distribution of access to high school and tertiary education to everyone,” he explained.
He expressed the desire of the university to collaborate with the people of Effutu to provide them with opportunities for their children and also creating employment opportunities for well qualified applicants who are indigenes of Effutu to work in the University.
“UEW shares collective responsibility with Effutuman to make sure that her sons and daughters take advantage of the current government’s free SHS policy to ensure that as many children as possible get access to high school education.”
The Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, Nenyi Ghartey VII thanked the University for their thoughts and programs arranged to serve the people of Effutu. He described the University’s move to help the people as a remarkable one and one of the best things that has ever happened to the People of Effutu in recent times. He called for a healthy partnership and peaceful co-existence between the University and the people of Effutu to bring peace and development at the university and the Effutu Traditional area.
MP for Efutu, Alex Kwamena Afenyo Markin expressed his delight at the healthy collaboration evolving between the University and the people of Effutu amidst chanting Asafo songs.
“It is a dream come true. We have been looking forward to seeing a thing like this. We pray for Strength and peace for the leadership of the University and the traditional authorities,” he ended.
Some boarding students report to school