Thirty-six students who excelled in the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) received the 65th President’s Independence Day Awards.
The Awards, which is to celebrate academic excellence and provide scholarships to brilliant students across the country, was instituted by the Ministry of Education in partnership with Nestle Ghana as part of activities to mark the Independence Day Celebrations.
In an interaction with the awardees, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo challenged them to study hard to maintain the excellent standard they have set for themselves.
“I urge you to keep working hard to maintain your standards and strive for excellence,” he said.
He said the future of the country was bright and the performance of students at the basic level has improved he, therefore, urged the awardees to be guided by honesty and integrity in their endeavours.
He also added that the government was committed to making education free for every Ghanaian child.
Speaking on the Free Senior High School programme (SHS), he disclosed that, 1.6 million students were currently enjoying the programme and the government would work hard to improve the quality of second cycle education.
Additionally, the government would set up 20 science laboratories in schools across the country to improve science education, he added.
He hinted that the Free SHS programme has been extended to cover all the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the country.
Patience Anaadem, ISD
