Accra, Sept. 23, GNA - Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Health, on Tuesday toured some basic schools in the Osu-Klottey Sub-Metro to welcome and encourage newly admitted class one pupils on their first day in school.
Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, launched the programme dubbed: "My First Day at School" on September 7, to make the first day at school a memorable one for the children as well as make communities more involved in school activities. The Ministry, therefore, earmarked Tuesday September 13 for the celebrations when new pupils were being enrolled in public schools all over the country.
Major Quashigah, who visited Osu Salem and the Osu Presbyterian Boys and Girls Schools, spent time interviewing the children on their interest areas and encouraged them to stay in school in order to achieve their vision.
He welcomed them with visors and sweets and also awarded cash prizes to children, who were able to answer questions and to express themselves well in the English language.
The tour was also to inspect the implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme and the capitation grant policy, which is to take effect from Tuesday to ensure that parents were not paying schools fees and also to find out if many children of school-going age, six years and above, were enrolled in primary one.
He said the Government was bent on ensuring the success of the FCUBE programme and cautioned all heads of schools to desist from demanding any fee from parents.
"Those who violate the order would be made to refund the monies and pay penalties," he said.
He said food vendors at all public schools would be supervised to wear the right apparel and to keep the surroundings where they sold their food clean to prevent the outbreak of epidemics. At the Osu Salem One and Osu Salem Two Primary Schools, Miss Emma Asamoah, Headmistress, said most parents in the community did not send their children for pre-school education and waited till they were over six years, and "this makes tuition very difficult".
She urged parents to take advantage of the FCUBE programme. Ms Regina Lamptey, Headmistress of the Osu Presbyterian Girls Primary School, appealed to the Ministry of Education to support the school in providing security and good sanitation since the school had no fence and members of the community intruded.