OUR CHILDREN SAY THANK YOU

THE government yesterday took a bold step to invest in the future of the country with the distribution of free school uniforms to children at Kwao Larbi in the Awutu Senya District in the Central Region.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), during the 2008 electioneering, pledged to provide free school uniforms for schoolchildren in deprived communities if voted into power.
Some people who doubted the capability of the Mills administration to fulfil the campaign pledge derided the government for delaying in the provision of the school uniforms. But, alas, the school uniforms are here and more than 300 schoolchildren in six basic schools who benefited from the programme yesterday shed tears of joy in appreciation of the government’s gesture.
The government has already committed some resources into the provision of free exercise books for schoolchildren, while it has increased the Capitation Grant, among other efforts, to make education more accessible.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the government for committing itself to the policy of creating more access to education for all children.
The decision of the government to commit GH¢21 million towards this programme will yield fruitful results, with the collaboration of all the stakeholders.
The government is making a lot of sacrifices in trying to bring education to the doorstep of children of school age, but that effort will come to naught if other stakeholders, such as teachers, parents and, indeed, the entire community, renege on their responsibilities.
This policy fits directly into the government’s policy of investing in people so that our future leaders can be better empowered to look for and create employment in our competitive world in order to fulfil the better Ghana agenda.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills hit the nail right on the head when she said, “There is no gainsaying the fact that yesterday’s education opens today’s doors and today’s education will open tomorrow’s doors, hence the commitment of the government to invest heavily in our people.”
In the present technological age, it is only countries that invest in education that will position their people well to take advantage of the opportunities.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is aware of the challenges in the implementation of the free school uniforms exercise. We know of the lack of capacity of the local manufacturing firms to contain the challenges inherent in the supply of the uniforms to all children in the deprived communities.
But where there is a will, there is a way and so the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the government will explore all the opportunities to make the programme a big success.
It is our prayer that the gesture initiated yesterday will help to motivate more children of school age to enrol in our schools and remain there until they at least graduate from basic school.
Many positive endeavours in the past suffered setbacks because of the lackadaisical attitude of those put in charge of their implementation. Therefore, the government should make it unattractive for any of the stakeholders to benefit from the free school uniforms programme at the expense of the children.
The DAILY GRAPHIC salutes the government for its commitment to the programme, in spite of the odds. We, however, urge it to speed up the processes so that all children in deprived communities will benefit from the programme.