President John Dramani Mahama emphatically reaffirmed his commitment to the Free Senior High School (SHS) program during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the 9th Parliament on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
The President assured Ghanaians that his administration has no plans to abolish the policy.
“Mr. Speaker, once again for emphasis, and for the record, I, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, will not cancel the Free SHS program,” President Mahama stated firmly during the address. “I am determined to make it better by improving its implementation.”
While acknowledging the program’s success in improving access to education, President Mahama also highlighted implementation challenges.
SEE ALSO: We will introduce short military training for NSS personnel – President Mahama
He noted that the actual number of beneficiaries since its inception is approximately 3.4 million, a figure he contrasted with the 5.1 million previously reported by the previous administration.
He described the latter number as an “exaggerated and false narrative calculated to achieve political credit.”
President Mahama outlined his administration’s efforts to address ongoing issues within the education sector.
He announced the restoration of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), emphasizing the importance of community involvement in school management.
SEE ALSO: Licensure Exams: We will review the curriculum of colleges of education – Haruna Iddrisu
The President also assured that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) will work to prevent PTAs from placing undue financial burdens on parents and students.
Addressing concerns about overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure, President Mahama announced his government’s commitment to accelerating school infrastructure expansion and completing stalled projects.
He also revealed plans to enhance secondary school feeding programs, including decentralizing food management and strengthening procurement and store management capabilities.