5.7m BECE graduates have benefited from Free SHS – Akufo-Addo
Since its inception in September 2017, President Akufo-Addo says approximately 5.7 million Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates have benefited from the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program.
Nana Addo disclosed this while speaking during his final State of the Nation Address in Parliament on January 3, 2025, saying the Free SHS policy has significantly expanded access to secondary education in the country.
“We have transformed education, and there can never be a reversal of the fact that 5.7 million young people have gained access to secondary education, who would otherwise not have had the opportunity but for Free SHS and Free TVET,” he stated.
He also noted that his government had prioritised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the country saying “Indeed, my administration has also prioritized technical and vocational education and training, establishing 34 new TVET institutions and upgrading 62 existing ones to equip our youth with 21st-century skills.”
The President expressed satisfaction with the elevation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, adding, “I am glad that we have elevated TVET and STEM to where they properly belong, and they will no longer be seen as the option for those who cannot make the top grade.”
Relatedly, the Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), Dr Peter Anti, has challenged President Akufo-Addo’s claim that 5.7 million students have gained access to secondary education since the introduction of the Free Senior High School program.
In a social media post sighted by Pretertiary.com, the Director of IFEST formerly VIAM Africa founded in August 2013 said the 5.7 million beneficiaries of the Free SHS since its inception in 2017 is inaccurate on multiple levels.
Citing data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), he said about 4.3 million students sat for the BECE between 2017 and 2024 adding that data from the School Placement System (CSPSS) also shows that around 3.4 million students were placed in schools.
“Even if we assume that all students who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School were admitted to secondary, technical, or vocational institutions, the total would still be 4.3 million.
Also, data from the EMIS of the Ministry of Education aggregates Senior High School and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) enrollment up to a little above 4.1 million for the same period. So the 5.7 million being peddled around is not accurate,” Peter noted.
