Nana Addo addresses calls on type of students to benefit Free SHS
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo following calls for the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy to target only students from poor backgrounds says families who can afford private education should opt for fee-paying schools.
Speaking at the 2024/2025 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association, His Excellency reiterated his commitment to maintaining the Free SHS policy, which he said ensures equal access to education for all, particularly those who would otherwise be unable to afford secondary schooling.
“People who can afford to pay fees for the education of their wards should send them to fee-paying private schools. Public schools that are funded by the taxpayer should be free to all who will otherwise be unable to pay for their education
That is why the number of pupils who have access to secondary education has doubled since the introduction of the free senior high school policy
Over 5.7 million persons have benefitted from the policy since its inception. The following impact of this dramatic development will be felt in due course and will far outweigh the small number of privileged parents who can afford to pay for the education of their wards,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
The President’s remarks come after the Ghana Bar Association’s President, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, suggested that wealthier families should contribute to the cost of education to ease pressure on the state budget and allow more resources to be directed towards less privileged students.
President Akufo-Addo defending the success of the Free SHS programme expressed confidence that the long-term impact of the policy would far outweigh concerns about a small group of affluent parents who could afford to pay fees.
Amid the flagship Free SHS policy introduced in 2017, the country in March this year recorded the highest enrollment of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates getting admission into various second-cycle schools.
President Nana Akufo-Addo disclosed the achievement of the Free Senior High School programme speaking at Ghana’s 67th Independence Day anniversary at Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, 6 March 2024.
“I am happy that, through the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, we are removing financial barriers to education, unlocking the potential of thousands of young Ghanaians, and laying the foundation for a brighter future for our country.
“This year, we have seen the highest ever enrolment of first-year students into senior high school in our nation’s history, that is five hundred and three thousand (503,000) students, a clear indication of the widespread embrace of the Free Senior High School Policy,” he announced.