The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central, Mr Richmond Edem Kpotosu, has presented mattresses, rubber boxes and learning materials to 254 Junior High School (JHS) graduates to enable them to begin their secondary education.
Presenting the items at a ceremony in Ho, Mr Kpotosu explained that the gesture formed part of his development agenda to promote education in the constituency. He said the items would be presented to the beneficiaries in batches.
Mr Kpotosu said education was key to national development and urged the JHS graduates to take advantage of the opportunities available to them to develop themselves and become responsible adults.
He said technical and vocational education was crucial to the development of the country and announced that, in addition to the Government’s youth training programmes, he had initiated skills training programmes to equip young people with employable skills.
The MP appealed to parents to encourage their wards to embrace technical and vocational training, which, he said, had the potential to create jobs and help address youth unemployment in the country.
The Ho Municipal Director of Education, Dr Esther Yeboah-Adzimah, commended the MP for supporting the JHS graduates, saying the assistance marked a new chapter in their lives as secondary education would prepare them to face the future with confidence.
Dr Yeboah-Adzimah, however, cautioned the beneficiaries against drug and substance abuse, stealing and early sexual activity, warning that such behaviours could destroy their dreams of becoming responsible adults.
She said the Municipal Directorate of Education had introduced a programme dubbed “Grooming for Final-Year JHS Students”, aimed at preparing students adequately for their examinations and the challenges ahead of them at the secondary school level.
She urged parents to consult the Directorate on issues they did not understand and stressed the need for them to continue supporting their wards’ education.
Dr Yeboah-Adzimah noted that although secondary education was free, parents still had a responsibility to provide for the needs of their children, as the Free SHS policy did not cover every requirement of students.
The Municipal Director of Education also urged the students to study hard and justify the investment being made in their education by the Government and their parents.
She said their commitment to education would enable them to become responsible citizens and agents of change in their communities.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, HO
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