The Ministry of Education (MoE) has received a delegation of 52 best-graded students from the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) across all regions of the country, selected for the 2026 President’s Independence Day Awards today, March 4.
The 52 awardees include 32 students from public schools, 16 from private schools, two who are visually impaired and two who have hearing impairments.
The distinguished awards will be presented to these outstanding students at a ceremonial occasion today by President John Dramani Mahama.
Deputy Minister of Education, Clement Abas Apaak, who welcomed the delegation at the ministry on Monday, emphasised that they are chosen based on their outstanding academic performance in the 2025 BECE.
He underscored the magnitude of their achievement, urging them to believe that the future is great and the path is open for success.
“To be selected among 52 out of a total of 603,328 candidates is a monumental feat; you should be immensely proud of yourselves.
“You are better positioned to excel. At your age, you are coming to Accra to meet the President of the republic and be recognised nationally, irrespective of the remote location you come from. This sets you on a path to greatness,” he congratulated them.
Closing the urban-rural divide
The Deputy Education Minister took the opportunity to highlight several key policy interventions designed to ensure that students in every corner of Ghana have a fair shot at success.
Dr. Apaak mentioned that under the ‘Teacher Dabre’ policy, the ministry is deploying incentives to encourage teachers to accept appointments in remote communities, ensuring high-quality instruction reaches the most underserved areas.
He further stressed that the infrastructure challenges are numerous, especially ‘schools under trees’, which need urgent attention.
“As of January 2025, there were about 5,000 schools under trees. The ministry is aggressively pursuing the construction of 200 new Junior High Schools (JHS) and primary schools to provide modern, dignified learning environments,” he said.
Eliminating “Period Poverty”
Dr. Apaak also highlighted the government’s commitment to the girl-child education, a reason behind the ‘Free Sanitary Pad’ initiative, which was hailed as one of the government’s most impactful policies.
He elaborated that last year, over two million sanitary pads were distributed to prevent girls, especially those in rural areas, from staying home during their cycles.
The policy, he said, aims to eliminate period poverty, protect the long-term health of girls who might otherwise use harmful alternatives and boost their self-confidence.
Going into the future, he indicated that the government has increased budget allocations to expand the supply of hygiene products throughout 2026.
The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, commended the awardees for rising to the top of their cohort.
He emphasised that the selection process was rigorous and inclusive, identifying the best students from both public and private sectors, as well as students with special needs.
The 2026 President’s Awards ceremony serves as a reminder that with the right support systems, every Ghanaian child, regardless of physical ability or geographical location, can achieve national distinction.
Post Views: 25
Discover more from The Business & Financial Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
