The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa, has charged final year students who are writing their West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to stay focused and make the nation proud with excelling results considering the resources that have gone into the Free SHS policy.

The current batch of final year students are the first beneficiary of the government policy that has provided free education to all government second cycle schools in the country.

“You must stay focused and have a sound mind so that you can conquer the WASSCE with a clarity of mind, determination of purpose and a positive attitude and bring home the crown,” said Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa.

The WASSCE which begun on July 20, 2020, amidst the surge in Coronavirus cases has a total of three hundred and thirteen thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven (313,837) sitting for the exams this year.

The three-year scholarship for all Senior High School students included free tuition, admission fee, textbooks, library fees, science center fees, fees for ICT, examination fee, payment of utility fee, boarding and meals.

The government also covered the cost of registration fees and cost of practical and also provided mathematical sets as well as calculators for all final students in all public senior high schools as part of the policy.

Since its introduction in September 2017, the government has expanded the infrastructural facilities in various schools to accommodate the increasing number of students who were admitted.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in December 2019 urged the first batch of the free SHS education to make him proud to shame all naysayers.

“As you know, not everybody wanted the Free SHS programme. We had powerful sources within this country that opposed it. Some people said it was too big a drain on the country’s resources. They have even indicated that when they come into office they will review it,” said Nana Akufo-Addo.