The vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has lauded the partnership between the University of Memphis in the USA and the Manhyia Palace which has given opportunities for Ghanaian students.
He said the initiative, which comes in the form of scholarship for Ghanaian students tenable at the University of Memphis, underlines what international collaborations can achieve.
Speaking at the University of Memphis, Tennessee in the United States on Friday October 19, Dr Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, was confident that the collaboration would continue to bring hope to many young Ghanaians.
In 2013, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, secured a scholarship package for Ghanaian students to study at the prestigious University of Memphis.
Under the deal, which is already being implemented, qualified Ghanaian students will travel to Memphis to undertake their undergraduate, master’s and PhD.
Up to 70 per cent of the opportunity is reserved for students who will undertake courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Napo’s keynote speech was on the topic, “Implementing a national policy for educational access and equity.”
Investment
The NPP vice presidential candidate said the massive investment made by the NPP government in education has made Ghana the envy of its peers.
He said the Free SHS programme which has largely expanded access to quality education, has added to Ghana’s image as the powerhouse of education. “Ghana has become a stellar example in Africa, investing heavily in expanding access to quality education. This is a legacy I am proud to have contributed to as a former Minister for Education. “
Assisting Bawumia
He indicated that he is committed to assisting Dr Mahamudu Bawumia build on this solid foundation when the NPP government takes office in January 2025.
Achievements
Napo, who as the first Minister of Education in the Akufo-Addo government, oversaw the implementation of Free SHS in 2017, noted that the initiative has enabled more students to pursue secondary education without the financial burdens that previously hindered many Ghanaian families.
On results he stated, “It is important to state that a cursory analysis of core subject performance from 2015 to 2023 points to a significant improvement in the past five years. For the 2022- and 2023-year groups, for example, more than 60% of candidates obtained A1-C6 in all core subjects, which are the qualification grades required for admission into a tertiary institution in Ghana.
“In fact, the 2023 results in this context are the best in nine years. This clearly refutes the argument by some naysayers that the Free Senior High School Policy was meant to compromise quality education.
“The equity component of the Free SHS program has been crucial. Beyond removing financial barriers, we actively ensured that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could access our top schools. This led to the introduction of the 30% equity policy, reserving 30% of spaces in top schools for children from public basic schools, who often come from deprived backgrounds but had performed well in their final junior high school exams (BECE), considering their backgrounds and other challenges within their study environment.”
Excerpts of Napo’s address
