Amidst the infrastructural and funding struggles facing government’s free senior high School programme, President Nana Addo has hinted that his administration will soon make tertiary education compulsory for all citizens.
Addressing the Ghanaian community in China during his visit to the East Asian country, President Nana Addo assured Ghanaians that he was committed to making tertiary education compulsory.
“My hope is that soon, Parliament and myself will be in agreement that we should even bring legislation that will make it compulsory for every child in Ghana to go to school from kindergarten right up to university level.”
Acknowledging the challenges with the Free SHS programme, President Akufo Addo maintained that he would not relent in his effort in ensuring free access to secondary education.
He stressed that “we are going to continue down this road” with compulsory tertiary education being the next stop.
The President indicated that dialogue with the aim of the legislation was ongoing.
“My hope is that soon, Parliament and myself will be in agreement that we should even bring legislation that will make it compulsory for every child in Ghana to go to school from kindergarten right up to university level.”
“It is not yet concretized itself into specific legislation but the conversation on that is now part of our national discourse and it should be because I believe that is the right thing to do to make it a matter of legislation.”
“…and therefore, if you see children hanging around the streets who are not in school you know they are breaking the law and we can take action against their parents especially if we have made it possible for them to be able to go to school and we are going to do that.”