The excitement of the people of the people of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo constituency over the visit of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP running mate, continued to be evident as basic school children in Guanbeing in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo Constituency came out in their numbers to throw their full support behind the New Patriotic Party’s pledge to make education free up to the Secondary school level.

The school children formed a blockade on the road leading to the community upon seeing the approach of Dr. Bawumia’s convoy amidst chants of ‘free education, free education’

The spectacle staged by the pupils left NPP Vice-Presidential candidate with no other choice but to step out of his vehicle to address the school children.

Dr. Bawumia in talking to the children expressed his delight for their love for school and their desire to progress up the educational ladder. He was even more delighted at the fact that the pupils had realized the urgent need for education, beyond the basic level, to be made free. Dr. Bawumia noted that many people in Ghana think secondary school education in the North is totally free but that is far from the truth as many parents are not able to afford the non-tuition fees.

“I am very happy seeing you in your numbers supporting the need for free education. Nana Akufo-Addo and I are very happy that this vision has been well accepted by a majority in the society. It is our strong view that education cannot continue being influenced by money because in our country they are more poor people than rich people and that there is the need to get the maximum benefits from every child. Some of you must become doctors, others must be engineers, pilots, ministers, bankers and even presidents and you cannot reach these heights without quality education.

The first step, however, to ensuring that we all get what we want is to urge your parents to support and vote for Nana Akufo-Addo in December so that his promise to make education free can become a reality and Insha Allah, come September 2013, you would all be witnesses to free quality education”, he said.

Dr. Bawumia, after addressing the children, headed to the durbar grounds where the NPP Running Mate interacted with and addressed the chiefs and people of Guanbeing.

Dr. Bawumia was informed during the interactions that the community had only one teacher who catered for all pupils in the community’s only school from class one to class six, as a result of the failure of other teachers to accept postings to the community.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia explained to the chiefs and people that the case of Guanbeing as well as many other such communities was precisely the reason behind the NPPs decision to build the whole educational programme under a teacher’s first policy so as to motivate teachers to give their best wherever they are.

He said that under the Nana Akufo-Addo government, teachers who accept postings to rural communities would be given special allowances to motivate them to deliver the same quality education being delivered in urban areas.