An education policy advocate, Kwasi Gyetuah, has argued that while Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has succeeded in expanding access to secondary education, its weak foundation has created challenges that must be addressed to improve quality.
Speaking during Adom TV’s Thought Leadership discussion on “The Future of Free SHS: Sustain, Reform or Redesign?”, Mr. Gyetuah said the policy was introduced with significant structural gaps that continue to affect its implementation.
“If you are building and the foundation isn’t good, the rest won’t be good,” he said, stressing the need for reforms to strengthen the programme rather than abandon it.
According to him, inadequate student accommodation, insufficient teaching and learning materials, and the introduction of the double-track system are among the issues that point to weaknesses in the policy’s initial design.
“The main issue with Free SHS isn’t that the policy is bad. The foundation has challenges,” he noted.
Mr. Gyetuah said although the policy has successfully improved access to secondary education, equal attention must now be paid to the quality of education students receive.
“Apart from access, there needs to be quality. The other components of Free SHS also need to be looked at so that, broadly, Free SHS will become the best,” he said.
He commended the government’s decision to include private senior high schools in the implementation of the programme, describing it as one of the most strategic interventions to ease pressure on public schools.
According to him, the number of participating private schools has increased, helping to absorb the growing number of students benefiting from the policy.
However, he maintained that infrastructure remains the biggest challenge facing the programme, warning that failure to expand school facilities would ultimately undermine educational quality.
“The infrastructure issue is the problem. If that is not addressed, quality will reduce. It is not just about the number of students in the schools,” he stated.
Mr. Gyetuah further argued that strengthening senior high schools alone would not be enough, insisting that greater investment is needed at the basic education level to provide students with a solid academic foundation before they transition to SHS.
He also challenged the common perception that quality education is measured solely by examination results.
“For me, quality education is seen after a student has passed through the school, the impact they make and what they are able to contribute to the nation,” he said.
READ ALSO:
$300m World Bank loan not to fund Free SHS – Haruna Iddrisu
Free SHS should be funded with local revenue, not loans – Gideon Boako
Education Minister assures Free SHS suppliers of payment within one week
