Free Uniforms At Last

The Atta Mills government will, with effect from today, start making good its pledge to provide free school uniforms to pupils in basic schools. In fulfillment of the pledge, government has so far spent GH�20 million on the project, the first consignment of which is expected to cover 1.3million children in 77 districts. The First Lady, Mrs Ernestina Naadu Mills, is expected to kick-start the distribution to pupils at Kwao Larbi, a village in the Ewutu Senya district of the Central Region at a ceremony in the village this morning. The free school uniform policy is meant to be distributed to needy pupils in deprived schools in communities. Confirming this to the Times yesterday, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said the provision of free uniforms was in line with government�s pledge to ensure that every child of school going age is able to go to school. It is recalled that one of the first actions to increase the Capitation Grant from GH�3 TO GH�4.50P. The government has also invested GH�29.62 million to procure 42,650,000 exercise books for free distribution to pupils nationwide. Under this programme, each Junior High School pupil will receive 15 exercise books per term, ten copies for those at the upper primary level and seven for lower primary pupils.