Free SHS sounded reckless but it's now entrenched in our education - Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has taken a swipe at his critics who doubted the implementation of the free senior high school policy.

Delivering his last State of the Nation Address today, Tuesday, January 5, 2020, the president said the policy sounded optimistic and reckless but has become entrenched parts of our educational setup.

To him, the policy is a transformational step his administration has taken.

He was hopeful this will quicken the pace of development all round and give confidence in our future.

The government introduced the Free SHS policy in the 2017/2018 academic year, making it possible for students from the entire country to have free Senior High School education, with free meals for both boarding and day students, free boarding accommodation, and free textbooks.

The policy in its first year of implementation provided over 90,000 additional teenagers an opportunity to get senior high school education and improve their opportunities for work in the future.

The government in 2018 introduced the double-track system. The move, which the Education Ministry says is expected to last for seven years, is a stopgap measure employed to accommodate the surge in enrollment under the free SHS programme.