Proposal to Review Ghana’s Free SHS Policy: To H. E. John Dramani Mahama and the Next Government – William Boadi, Executive Director, Educate Africa Institute (EAI)
Your Excellency, Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, introduced in 2017, remains a pivotal step toward expanding access to education. By removing financial barriers, the program has significantly increased enrollment in secondary schools, granting thousands of Ghanaian children an opportunity to pursue their dreams. However, as the policy matures, challenges related to quality, equity, and sustainability have emerged, threatening to undermine its transformative potential.
Your Excellency, as the incoming government, you have the unique opportunity to lead a comprehensive review of the Free SHS policy. This proposal outlines critical areas for intervention and practical solutions to ensure the program achieves its goals of providing inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all Ghanaians while addressing key reforms to improve outcomes and prepare learners for the job market.
1. Addressing Quality of Education
Access to education alone is not sufficient; the quality of education provided must equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a competitive world. Unfortunately, the surge in enrollment under Free SHS has stretched infrastructure and human resources to their limits, resulting in overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teaching materials, and overburdened teachers. Additionally, Ghana’s education system must align with global trends by incorporating entrepreneurship, practical learning, and internships to make graduates job-ready.
Proposed Actions:
Expand and Modernize Infrastructure: Complete the remaining E-Block community day schools to address overcrowding and phase out the double-track system. These modern schools must include state-of-the-art libraries, science laboratories, and ICT centers.
Recruit and Train More Teachers: Prioritize hiring qualified teachers and provide ongoing professional development programs focused on 21st-century teaching methods, including problem-solving and critical thinking.
Shift to Practical Learning: Adopt a 90% practical and hands-on teaching methodology in technical, vocational, and science subjects. This approach will better prepare students to meet job market demands.
Introduce Entrepreneurship and Internship Programs: Integrate entrepreneurship training and internships into the curriculum to equip students with skills for self-employment and real-world job experience.
Establish a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Implement a system to regularly assess the performance of schools and students, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
2. Promoting Equity in Education
One of the Free SHS program’s core objectives is to reduce inequality. However, disparities remain between urban and rural schools. Students in urban areas often benefit from better facilities, more qualified teachers, and superior academic outcomes compared to their rural counterparts. Additionally, the exclusion of private schools from the policy has created gaps and perceptions of discrimination.
Proposed Actions:
Ensure Equitable Resource Distribution: Direct funding and resources toward underprivileged schools, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Support the Completion of Private Schools in the Policy: Partner with accredited private schools to absorb excess students, ensuring no child is left out due to lack of space in public schools. This collaboration will also alleviate pressure on public institutions.
Introduce Targeted Interventions: Establish scholarship programs and mentorship initiatives for students from marginalized communities to improve their academic success.
Support Rural Teachers: Provide incentives such as housing, transportation, and allowances to attract and retain teachers in rural areas.
3. Ensuring Sustained Access and Funding.
While the elimination of tuition fees has removed a significant barrier to education, many families still face challenges due to hidden costs such as transportation, uniforms, and learning materials. Additionally, the policy’s reliance on the national budget raises concerns about its financial sustainability.
Proposed Actions:
Address Hidden Costs: Partner with local stakeholders to subsidize school uniforms, textbooks, and transportation for needy students.
Diversify Funding Sources: Engage the private sector, development partners, and alumni associations to contribute to the program’s funding.
Promote Community Ownership: Mobilize communities to support local schools through volunteering, donations, and local initiatives.
Encourage Self-Help Initiatives: Empower schools to develop revenue-generating projects to supplement government funding.
4. Conducting a Comprehensive Review.
Your Excellency, a full review of the Free SHS policy is not a critique of its intent but a necessary step to refine and strengthen its implementation. This review should bring together all stakeholders educators, students, parents, policymakers, and development partners to address the challenges and chart a path forward.
Proposed Scope of Review:
Evaluate the policy’s impact on educational quality, equity, and access.
Identify gaps in resource allocation, infrastructure, and teacher capacity.
Develop a long-term strategy for the sustainability and scalability of the program.
Examine opportunities to integrate technical, vocational, and entrepreneurship education into mainstream schools to enhance employability.
Conclusion.
Your Excellency, the Free SHS program is a powerful tool for national development. With your leadership, Ghana can transform it into a world-class education initiative that guarantees every child not only access but also the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. By addressing challenges of quality, equity, and sustainability and incorporating practical reforms like entrepreneurship programs, internships, and hands-on learning, your government will leave an indelible mark on Ghana’s educational future.
This proposal is submitted with the confidence that your government will take decisive action to ensure the success of Free SHS. Together, let us work to build a system where no child is left behind, and every student is empowered to achieve their full potential.
Yours in Service,
William Boardi is a seasoned Educationist, Social Worker, Political analyst and double as the Executive Director of Educate Africa Institute (EAI), educational think tank dedicated to promoting access to quality education and ensuring social justice across Africa through Attitudinal Change Seminars and Giving Back to The Community Project. For inquiries, contact: +233541935106 / educateafrica18@gmail.com.
www.educateafricainstitute.org
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