Free SHS policy never compromised quality of education – Ex MoE

Former Minister of Education Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh says the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has improved the quality of education in Ghana rather than diminished it, as some Ghanaians claim.

Speaking at the University of Memphis in the United States on Friday, October 19, Dr Matthew Opoku, also known as NAPO, said the Free SHS programme has improved access to education, particularly for underprivileged students.

As the Minister of Education during the introduction of the Free SHS policy in 2017, he stressed that the initiative has strengthened academic performance and helped bridge educational inequality across the country.

NAPO pointed out that the Free Senior High School programme has enabled more students to pursue secondary education without the financial burdens that previously limited many Ghanaian families.

“It is important to state that a cursory analysis of core subject performance from 2015 to 2023 points to a significant improvement in the past 5 years. For the 2022- and 2023-year groups, for example, more than 60% of candidates obtained A1-C6 in all core subjects, which are the qualification grades required for admission into a tertiary institution in Ghana.

In fact, the 2023 results in this context are the best in 9 years. This, clearly, further refutes the argument by some naysayers that the Free Senior High School Policy was to compromise quality education.

The equity component of the Free SHS programme has been crucial. Beyond removing financial barriers, we actively ensured that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could access our top schools.

This led to the introduction of the 30% equity policy, reserving 30% of spaces in top schools for children from public basic schools, who often come from deprived backgrounds but had performed well in their final junior high school exams the BECE considering their backgrounds and other challenges within their study environment.

This affirmative action policy has demonstrated that many such children can excel in elite schools when given a level playing field, showcasing the potential of all our children if given equal opportunities.

The discussion on gender imbalance does not even arise anymore, as the enrolment data is now reflective of our national population dynamic with gender parity achieved,” the former Education Minister stated.

The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) education policy in Ghana is a central government initiative introduced in the 2017 September Presidential administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The policy’s core themes of access, equity and equality fulfil the United Nations modified Sustainable Development Goals, where member countries amalgamate those themes in their educational systems to certify adequate learning experiences for students.