Bii-Kunuto Education Fund: Education is nation-building, not charity – Dr. Apaak

Education remains the most strategic investment a nation can make, not an act of charity, Deputy Education Minister Dr Clement Abas Apaak has said.

Dr Apaak made the remarks on Saturday at the launch of the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra, where he delivered a speech on behalf of the Minister for Education.

Addressing traditional leaders, policymakers, education stakeholders and beneficiaries, Dr Apaak stressed that education must be viewed as the foundation of Ghana’s social mobility, economic transformation and national cohesion.

He described the establishment of the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund as both symbolic and practical, noting that it reflects compassion while directly expanding opportunity for students facing financial barriers.

“Education is not merely a sector of our economy; it is the foundation upon which all sectors rise or fall,” he said. “It is the bridge between poverty and productivity, between exclusion and participation, and between inherited circumstance and earned opportunity.”

Dr Apaak explained that government policy is deliberately designed to remove cost barriers that prevent qualified students from progressing, particularly at critical transition points.

He cited the No Fee Stress Policy as a major intervention that ensures admission into tertiary institutions translates into actual enrolment.

“Under this policy, government absorbs the full first-year academic facility user fees for all first-year students admitted into public tertiary institutions,” he noted. “This intervention relieves parents and guardians of immediate financial pressure and stabilises student entry into tertiary education.”

He also pointed to the expansion of the Free Senior High School programme, including its extension to selected private senior high schools in high-demand and underserved areas, as evidence of the government’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

According to him, the approach widens access while maintaining standards and sustainability.

On scholarship administration, Dr Apaak highlighted the passage of the Scholarship Authority Bill into law, describing it as a shift away from discretion and privilege.

“This landmark legislation ensures that scholarships are awarded fairly, strategically, and to those who genuinely need them most,” he said, adding that the reform replaces “fragmentation with coordination, and privilege with fairness.”

He further emphasised government’s commitment to free tertiary education for persons living with disabilities, insisting that “disability must never become a barrier to academic aspiration or national contribution.”

Turning to the Bii-Kunuto Education Fund, Dr Apaak said private initiatives play a critical complementary role in national development.

“The strongest nations are built when public commitment is reinforced by private conscience,” he stated. “This Fund does not compete with government policy—it complements it. It fills gaps, touches lives directly and extends opportunity where it is needed most.”

He urged beneficiaries to treat the support as a responsibility rather than an entitlement, encouraging them to use the opportunity to learn diligently and lead ethically.

Dr Apaak commended the founders and trustees of the Fund for choosing to invest in people and future potential, noting that education, above all else, remains Ghana’s surest path to sustainable development.