Tabitha Ayillah, Spokesperson for the NPP Policy Committee on Education, has called for sustained investment in Ghana's Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy. She stated that the program can be improved to preserve its achievements and ensure sustainable funding. This recommendation comes amidst ongoing national discussions regarding the future of the Free SHS initiative.
Ms. Ayillah made these remarks during Adom TV’s thought leadership discussion titled “The Future of Free SHS: Sustain, Reform or Redesign?”. She argued that the policy has recorded significant successes since its introduction. These successes include expanded access to secondary education and improved academic outcomes for many Ghanaian students. Therefore, she believes the program should be strengthened rather than abandoned.
The Free SHS policy, implemented in September 2017, has been a flagship program of the current government. It aims to remove financial barriers to secondary education. While it has significantly increased enrollment, it has also faced challenges related to funding, infrastructure, and quality. The debate around its sustainability often centers on the financial burden it places on the national budget and the need for adequate resources to maintain educational standards.
“Free SHS could be better so that all our achievements will be sustained and funding will be fluid,” Ms. Ayillah stated. She stressed that improving the financing of the program is essential to maintaining the gains made. This includes ensuring that the increased number of students can be adequately accommodated and taught.
Ms. Ayillah urged the government to prioritise the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects. These projects were initiated under the previous administration. She argued that additional classroom blocks, dormitories, and other school facilities are needed. These facilities are crucial to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolling in senior high schools each year. The lack of adequate infrastructure has led to issues such as overcrowding and the implementation of the double-track system.
“Government should make it a priority to complete the rest of the infrastructure we started so that there will be greater access to education,” she added. Expanding educational infrastructure would not only improve access but also ease congestion in schools. It would also support efforts to phase out the double-track system, which has been a point of contention for many parents and educators. The double-track system was introduced to manage the large intake of students due to Free SHS, but it has raised concerns about contact hours and learning continuity.
She stressed that sustained investment in infrastructure and a reliable funding mechanism would help secure the long-term success of the Free SHS policy. This would also improve the quality of education for students across the country. The government has allocated substantial funds to the Free SHS program, but critics often point to the need for more efficient resource management and diversified funding sources to ensure its long-term viability. The discussions around the policy's future are critical for Ghana's human capital development.