Mr Eugene Sackey, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper West Akim District, has advised Junior High School (JSS) students in the area to learn hard to pass their examinations to benefit from the Free Senior High Senior (SHS) programme.

“It is only when you pass the examination that you can partake in the free SHS programme rolled out by the Akufo-Addo government for all Ghanaian children,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the final year students to concentrate on their studies and not to indulge in activities that would cut short their schooling and waste the investments spent on their education.

Mr Sackey gave the advice when he led a team from his outfit to visit Junior High schools in the district on the second day of arrival of the third-year students to welcome them back to school.

He also encouraged them to concentrate on their studies and and observe the COVID-19 protocol strictly to protect themselves to prevent them from becoming victims of the deadly disease.

The district has 64 JHS School made up of 45 Public and 19 Private and a survey conducted indicated that about 80 percent of final year students had reported to continue with their academic works.

There are Veronica buckets with water, liquid soap and tissue papers placed at vantage points in all the schools, while the students wore nose masks and their temperature taken on daily basis.

The DCE further urged the students to observe the physical distancing protocol and desist from sharing nose masks with their mates to avoid contracting the virus and it spreading.

“You are to report to the teachers when you face any difficulty and they will inform my office for redress to enable you to study without any hindrances,” he advised.

Later in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, some of the students expressed delight and gratefulness for their return to school to study and write their examination.

They said they will adhere to the protocols to help protect themselves from the coronavirus and also study to pass well.