First Lady Launches Free School Uniforms

Mrs Naadu Mills on her way to launch the free uniforms.

The First Lady, Ernestina Naadu Mills, says the government’s resolve to ensure that no child is denied access to quality basic education is on course.

She said part of that commitment to spread education to every part of the country found expression in the distribution of free exercise books, and the increase in the capitation grant, among other interventions initiated by the Mills administration.

Mrs Mills stated this when she launched the ‘Free School Uniforms for Needy Children’ in Basic Schools in Ghana at Kwao Larbi in the Awutu Senya District in the Central Region Wednesday.

The government has committed GH¢21 million into providing free school uniforms for basic school children, with the first consignment of 1.6 million uniforms for children in 77 deprived districts.

More than 300 schoolchildren from six basic schools in the district benefited from the programme. The children, who were all smiles when the uniforms were presented to them, quickly changed their attire with a lot of excitement. They sang and danced to the admiration of the array of stakeholders and traditional rulers present at the function.

The distribution of the uniforms is in fulfilment of the government’s campaign promise to provide free school uniforms for pupils in deprived communities.

A couple of weeks ago, the government launched the free exercise books initiative in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region as part of measures to promote universal basic education.

Mrs Mills, an educationist herself, said it was even more heartening “to know that a lot more of our children will be able to read, write and lay the foundation for a sound future because the provision of the uniforms will enable them to go to school. Indeed, a better Ghana is being built and will be built”.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that yesterday’s education opens today’s doors and today’s education will open tomorrow’s doors, hence the commitment of the government to invest heavily in our people,” she stressed.

She said the government, very much aware of the numerous challenges education delivery in this country was saddled with, was working tirelessly to improve upon what currently existed.

Mrs Mills said the idea of providing for needy children was aimed at preventing the pain and embarrassment they went through in school which led to some of them dropping out of school and also discouraged others from going to school.

“Education is a right and not a choice and the NDC government, through this laudable initiative, is opening up the space for more Ghanaian children, if not every Ghanaian child, to have access to basic education,” she said.

She said the increase in the capitation grant from GH¢3 to GH¢4.50 per pupil per year since the beginning of the 2009 academic year was an indication that the government was committed to ensuring that parents and guardians were relieved of some of their burden in supporting their children’s education.

The First Lady appealed to parents, pupils, teachers, chiefs, elders and all stakeholders to join hands to ensure that all children had access to quality basic education.

In a welcoming address, the Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, said although most children were intelligent, lack of basic infrastructure in schools deprived them access to develop their potential.

She appealed to parents to be responsible for the welfare of their children but not to use poverty to renege on those duties.

Nai Abokuade Wyettey Agyemang Otabi III, the Chief of the area, commended the government for the gesture and appealed for funds to build classroom blocks and more accommodation for the teachers. Share Your Thoughts on this article Name Email Location Comments Graphic Ghana may edit your comments and not all comments will be published