She said records indicated that school enrolment had increased across the region with hardly any student dropping out due to lack of school fees. Mrs. Dorleku in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the success of the programme could be felt on the various SHS campuses with teachers and students making good use of time for quality teaching and learning with no worries over feeding or utility bills.

"It is all joy in the schools now. No school fees, free feeding, no utility bill, free dresses etc. So far so good and we are expecting the results to get better," she said. Mrs Dorleku said with a little effort Volta region could regain its position as an 'education power house' of the country and called for support from teachers and parents.

"We are getting there and I know by the next four- or five-years Volta will be the best again. We are happy because the brilliant but poor are back in school, " she said. Mrs Dorleku therefore asked students to make the best out of the opportunity, focus on their studies and excel.

Mr Forgive Yao Agoha, Public Relations Officer at the Regional Education Office said the programme had been successful so far, making secondary education accessible to all. He said reports from teachers indicate that students in the region were performing better in the various subjects.

Mr Agoha said some teachers however appeared over burdened by the double track system and appealed to stakeholders to help address that challenge.  The programme, which has quality, affordability, access, skills improvement and expansion of infrastructure as its pillars, offer day students free lunch in the schools.