‘Free Education is not Free’

The Free Senior High School policy introduced by the Government to make secondary education in Ghana absolutely free, is not free after all, since there are additional financial contributions parents are expected to make to ensure quality education for their wards, Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, has said.

Msgr. Bobby Benson, Director of Matthew 25 at Koforidua, lamented about the precarious situation of our education, and called on stakeholders to look at ways to address the bottlenecks in the system and safeguard quality education delivery in the country.

He made these observations in a homily at Madina, during the induction ceremony of 75 new members of the Accra Archdiocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society (SSVP).

Speaking on the theme: The Spiritual Growth of the Vincentian in the Economic and Political World of Today, he challenged members of the Society to support and bring hope to the needy in our society.

He said our current political and economic situation calls for the need for Christians, especially members of the Society to reach out to the poor in the areas helping in paying the fees of needy students and feeding the poor.

“What can we do in our little way to support the needy children go to school or the aged? he asked.

Msgr. Bobby Benson urged the SSVP members not to be deterred by the challenges of the time but to endeavour to reach out to others, while trusting the Lord in serving the needy.

“Don’t let the challenges kill your desire to help” he stressed, urging the members to make time, and use their talents, knowledge and resources to support.

He challenged members of the society to go back to their parishes and ask the parishioners to support, urging them to for instance organised the aged in their vicinity and fete them once a year.

 Mr. Emmanuel Tornyeagah, Archdiocesan President of the Society, who congratulated the new members and sustain the momentum you bring and continue to reach out to others.

He announced that the initiation of new members into the Society would from next year be done at the Parish level, and charged the various deaneries to get training Officers to continue training members of the society.

Concelebrating Priests at the Mass included Rev. Fr. Michael Ofori, Archdiocesan Spiritual Director of the Society, who inducted the new members.