Government signals major review of Free SHS programme

The government has announced that it is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, citing growing pressures on infrastructure and student feeding as enrolment continues to rise.

Speaking during a monitoring visit to the Eastern Region, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, noted that Ghana must confront the reality that school infrastructure has not kept pace with the exponential increase in student numbers following the introduction of Free SHS.

Here's how much students in private schools under Free SHS programme will receive

“We are all in Ghana, and we must accept and appreciate one significant fact: that infrastructure has not matched the exponential increase in numbers following the introduction of Free Senior High School,” he said.

He added that under President Mahama’s “Reset Agenda,” the government remains committed to a full review of the policy, insisting that the process is already underway.

“There are many of you who didn’t even look for the meaning of review. Review is review. Some substitute review for cancellation. The review of the Free Senior High School under President Mahama’s Reset Agenda will happen, and it is happening,” he stated.

According to him, the review is focused on three key areas, beginning with infrastructure development.

He disclosed that the government will soon roll out the “Star J Initiative”, aimed at expanding classrooms, laboratories, and lecture halls to accommodate the rising number of students accessing secondary education.

The second focus of the review, he noted, is the school feeding system. He said the government has uncapped the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to ensure adequate financing for student feeding needs.

“Accordingly, last year into this year, annually the GETFund allocates about four billion…” he added, with the statement trailing off.

The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme was introduced in 2017 by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government to expand access to secondary education and reduce the financial burden on parents.

Watch the video below:



JKB/BAI

Tears at Afari Hospital: Security woman breaks down as tensions erupt during MPs' inspection