The General Secretary of the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations in Ghana (NCPTA), Raphael Kofi Gapson, has said that while the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has significantly expanded access to secondary education, the rapid increase in enrolment has put pressure on the quality of education.
Speaking during Adom TV’s Thought Leadership discussion on “The Future of Free SHS: Sustain, Reform or Redesign?”, Mr. Gapson said educational success should be measured by the outcomes students achieve rather than simply the number of children enrolled.
“Education is measured by outcomes,” he stated.
According to him, Ghana was not adequately prepared for the nationwide rollout of the Free SHS policy, arguing that the country lacked the infrastructure and resources needed to support the surge in student enrolment.
“We were not at a solid point to roll out Free SHS,” he said.
Mr. Gapson stressed that government alone cannot bear the responsibility of sustaining the programme, calling for greater support from parents, communities and other stakeholders.
“Government can’t do it all, so we also need to help,” he added.
He identified inadequate and delayed funding as one of the biggest challenges confronting the policy, noting that schools continue to experience delays in the release of funds needed for their day-to-day operations.
According to him, the funding delays affect key areas including student feeding, teaching and learning materials, and the general administration of schools.
“From the inception of Free SHS until now, financing has remained a major concern. Delays in the release of funds affect school operations, including feeding, teaching and learning materials, and general administration,” he said.
Mr. Gapson argued that addressing these financial challenges would significantly improve the quality of educational outcomes under the programme.
He also highlighted inadequate infrastructure as another major concern, saying school facilities have struggled to keep pace with the growing number of students benefiting from the policy.
Beyond infrastructure, he called for continuous investment in teacher development, stressing that educators must receive regular capacity-building training to equip them to meet the evolving demands of the education system.
“The teacher capacity is also needed. They need continuous training to match the new challenges in the system,” he stated.
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