The President-Elect, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has emphatically stated that his administration will not cancel the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
In an interview with Voice of Africa, Mahama declared, “Free SHS has come to stay, and it is not going anywhere. Nobody is going to scrap Free SHS.”
He dismissed previous comments by the NPP as “political talk” and “political gimmickry,” assuring that his administration will maintain the policy.
Mahama revealed that his administration plans to secure dedicated funding for Free SHS to ensure it is better resourced than it currently is.
“There is a lot of waste in the system, and we are going to help make it more efficient so that parents, teachers, and students get the best out of Free SHS,” he added.
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Brief History of Ghana’s Free SHS
The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy was introduced by President Nana Akufo-Addo in September 2017. This initiative was a key campaign promise during the 2016 election.
The policy aimed to provide free secondary education to all Ghanaian children, ensuring that financial constraints would no longer prevent students from continuing their education after junior high school.
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The Free SHS policy was designed to address several issues, including access, equity, and equality in education.
It also sought to fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by ensuring that all children have access to free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
Since its implementation, the policy has significantly increased enrolment rates in senior high schools across the country.
For instance, in the 2017/18 academic year, over 470,000 students were enrolled, setting a new record.
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However, the policy has also faced challenges, such as the need for more infrastructure and resources to accommodate the increased number of students.
Many feared that the new administration might cancel the policy due to the challenges and the ongoing economic crisis.
However, John Mahama has made it clear that the policy is here to stay.