BY DANIEL BAMPOE
Former Finance Minister and Atiwa East Member of Parliament Abena Osei-Asare has combined direct support for 200 newly admitted Senior High School students in her constituency with a pointed call on the government to urgently resolve worsening SHS placement challenges.
The Atiwa East MP intervened while supporting 200 students from across the constituency who have secured admission into Senior High School, providing them with essential items and financial assistance to help their families meet the immediate demands of sending their children to school.
The initiative brought together beneficiaries, parents and guardians in an atmosphere the MP described as one filled with excitement as families celebrated an important transition in the educational lives of their children.
Each of the 200 beneficiaries received a package containing a trunk, chop box, mattress, provisions and cash support.
The intervention is particularly significant for families preparing their children for SHS at a time when the cost of education-related items can place additional pressure on parents and guardians, even under the Free SHS system.
While Free SHS provides tuition-free secondary education, families continue to encounter other expenses associated with preparing children for boarding or day-school life, including bedding, trunks, food and other personal necessities.
Addressing the beneficiaries and their families, Osei-Asare urged the students not to relent in their academic efforts and challenged them to approach their new stage of education with discipline and determination.
She reminded them that they represent the future human capital and leadership of Atiwa East and urged them to make responsible use of the opportunities available to them.
MP Turns Spotlight on Free SHS Placement Crisis
But the event also became an opportunity for Osei-Asare to raise a wider national concern—the difficulties surrounding the implementation of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
While celebrating the students who had successfully gained admission to SHS, the MP expressed concern about the difficulties being experienced by parents and students in securing appropriate placements.
She called on the government and relevant stakeholders to find lasting solutions to what she described as the ongoing school placement crisis.
Osei-Asare argued that Free SHS remains an important national policy and legacy that must be managed effectively and efficiently by the current NDC government.
The MP also acknowledged the contribution of education authorities in making the initiative possible.
