President Akufo-Addo has charged this year’s President’s Independence Day Awards recipients to make honesty and integrity their guiding principles as they pursue higher education.

Speaking at the 2018 edition of the President’s Independence Day Awards ceremony under the theme “Putting Ghana Beyond Aid”, President Akufo Addo said a high moral compass is a prerequisite for their success throughout all the phases of their future academic life.

“I urge you not to allow your current successes to get into your head because it is only the beginning. Continue to work hard in order to maintain your standards. Know that you can go as far as you want by remaining diligent, hardworking and holding on to a strong moral compass. Honesty and integrity are important values in any worthwhile existence,” the President stated.

The Minister for Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, in his welcome address indicated that the achievement of the thirty pupils, now students, is a testament of the potential of children in Ghana. To that end, the Minister pledged government’s continued efforts aimed at making education accessible to every Ghanaian child of school going age.

History of the Awards

The President’s Independence Day Awards was instituted in 1993 and has since then provided scholarships each year to 20 young, brilliant students between the ages of 14 and 19. The awardees are selected based on their exceptional performance in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as well as other extra curricula activities.

The Awards has as its objectives; to recognize and reward academic excellence, promote participation in co-curricular activities and to reward exemplary conduct and good moral behavior.

The criteria used for selecting the awardees is the performance in the 2017 BECE (best student overall male and female student in the 10 regions), participation in co-curricular activities ( involvement in school club activities, sports, community service and leadership role), and other special qualities of excellence.