The Spokesperson for the NPP Policy Committee on Education, Tabitha Apegyine Ayillah, has defended the quality of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, insisting that student performance and other educational outcomes demonstrate the programme’s success.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Thought Leadership discussion on “The Future of Free SHS: Sustain, Reform or Redesign?”, Ms. Ayillah said the policy has delivered positive academic results since its introduction in 2017.
“We are very proud of Free SHS because the data backs it,” she said.
According to her, data from the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) between 2017 and 2023 shows that students consistently recorded high pass rates across almost all the core subjects.
“When it comes to outcomes, the WASSCE data from 2017 to 2023 shows that in almost all the core subjects, students passed. So the quality of Free SHS is not questionable,” she stated.
Ms. Ayillah also argued that the programme has been supported by qualified teachers and improved measures to curb examination malpractice.
“All the teachers were trained and qualified, and examination malpractice was well controlled. There is no question about the quality of Free SHS,” she added.
Addressing concerns over the double-track system, she explained that it was introduced as a temporary measure to absorb the sharp increase in student enrolment following the implementation of the policy.
According to her, the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration invested in expanding school infrastructure, enabling some senior high schools to exit the double-track system before it left office.
“The double-track system was introduced to accommodate the large number of students. As more infrastructure was built, some schools had already stopped running the system before we left office,” she said.
Ms. Ayillah further maintained that the NPP government consistently ensured adequate funding for the implementation of the Free SHS policy throughout its tenure.
However, she criticised the current government over its handling of the programme, noting that despite campaign promises to abolish the double-track system, it remains in operation.
“This government promised to end double track, yet they still haven’t,” she said.
She also expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of the programme, arguing that its financial future appears uncertain under the current administration.
“The future of Free SHS looks bleak in terms of financing with the current government,” Ms. Ayillah stated.
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