- President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his commitment to the Free SHS policy.
- He urged wealthy families to consider private schools to reduce state education costs.
- Over 5.7 million students have benefited from the policy since its inception.
President Akufo Addo in the wake of episodes of reflection to transformation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy during the 2024/2025 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Kumasi.
Responding to concerns as to where the policy is putting much pressure on the budget of Ghana, he said that Government needs money hence those who have the ability to pay private schools should do so.
According to Graphic online, the Full Free SHS, aimed at eliminating inequalities in access to secondary schools’ education has attracted criticism given the cost factors.
However, critics have been criticizing the free senior high school policy unleashed by Akufo-Addo and other similar social policies, saying that the policy will benefit few people in the country but Akufo-Addo still stands by the policy stating that he knows the policy offers opportunities for the less privileged students who would not afford secondary education. He said:
“A school which is financed by the general public should not be closed to those who cannot afford to pay for their children, however, the middle and upper classes can afford to pay for education and so they can go for private schools. ”
Effect of free SHS on the education sector in Ghana
After its launch, the programme has helped over 5. Such students stand to benefit in that 7 million have been reached thus increasing the number of students who can afford secondary education from the initial 3. 5 million.
This was in the wake of suggestion made by Ghana Bar Association President, Yaw Acheampong Boafo to have rich families to start funding to reduce the burden placed on public schools.
These measures were criticized with opponents arguing that the policy place a huge burden of the state but Akufo-Addo argued that it is necessary to have an educated populace so as to have such states incur the costs.
More to his speech, he called for a right, which focused on the families of the affluent paying for schools for their children while the government kept working on the part that sought to make schools free for the less fortunate individuals.
To this end, tackling these challenges are purification and Akufo-Addo strongly envisages the policy will usher in massive long term dividend for the Ghanaian workforce as well as the populace at large for the economic growth of the country and provisioning of better living standards of all citizens in the future.
