“We have also abolished the 25 per cent Corporate Tax imposed on private universities in the 2018 budget. This will free up funds for them to also expand their facilities and invest in their human resource such as lecturers and non-teaching staff,” he added.

Addressing the 66th anniversary and 23rd Speech and Prize-giving Day of the Tamale SHS (TAMASCO) in Tamale last Saturday, Dr Bawumia reiterated that the introduction of the free SHS was to demonstrate the government's commitment to building the human capacity for national development and to reduce the burden on parents.

The celebration was on the theme: "Secondary Education in Northern Ghana, producing responsible citizens through discipline".

Incentives for teachers

Dr Bawumia said the government was implementing a comprehensive incentive package for teachers, including enhanced training and the restoration of the Teacher Training Allowance, to encourage enrolment and produce more teachers to train the youth.

He announced that the government would also provide affordable houses for teachers nationwide and enhance training opportunities for them, including retraining, to meet the demands of modern day teaching.

That, he said, would help attract and retain passionate and committed teachers to help achieve quality education in the country for a better future.

Indiscipline

Touching on the theme for the celebration, Dr Bawumia blamed the poor academic performance of students on indiscipline and, therefore, urged the students to be law abiding.

"Today, it is no secret that indiscipline has become a serious problem in most senior high schools across the country", the Vice-President said.

He also advised the students to desist from wasting their time on social media and steadfastly abide by the rules and regulations of the school to achieve their aim of being in the school.

The interim Vice-President of the Tamale Technical University (TaTU), Prof. Alhaji Abdulai Salifu Asuro, who also addressed the gathering, stressed the need for all stakeholders to instil discipline in the younger generation to ensure a disciplined future society.

"For our generation to produce responsible citizens through secondary school education, school management must commit to ensuring that schools provide a safe and orderly environment for effective teaching and learning to take place", he stated

Prof. Asuro urged the students to take their studies seriously in order to achieve their aim of becoming good citizens capable of contributing to national development.

Headmaster

The Headmaster of the school, Mr Wilberforce Shaibu Adams, commended the government for the introduction of the free SHS programme, saying it has helped to ease the burden on parents, as well as increase school enrolment.

The Tamale Senior High School, established in 1951, has produced graduates including Dr Hilla Limann, the President of the Third Republic; Alhaji Aliu Mahama, a former Vice-President of the Fourth Republic; the sitting Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin.

Others are Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and head of UNOWAS and Dr Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku, the immediate past Governor of the Bank of Ghana.