Review Free SHS to allow those who can afford to pay – Asantehene

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for a review of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to ensure its sustainability.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call when the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The Asantehene suggested that families who can afford to pay for their wards’ education should be made to contribute, while government resources are channeled towards supporting needy students.

He proposed a mixed-support system, similar to the past practice where bursaries were awarded to deserving students, while those who could afford paid their way.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu acknowledged the benefits of the Free SHS policy but stressed the need for a national dialogue to address the challenges facing the program.

He expressed concern about the infrastructure and logistical challenges affecting senior high schools, including overcrowded dormitories, lack of science and ICT laboratories, food shortages, and inadequate school buses.

The Free SHS policy was introduced in 2017 to remove financial barriers to secondary education. While it has increased enrollment, concerns remain about funding sustainability and educational quality.

Meanwhile, Professor Peter Quartey, Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), has also suggested that the Free SHS policy should be reviewed to address the challenges facing it.