The Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy in Ghana has been a transformative initiative since its inception in 2017 under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration.
Aimed at providing free education at the senior high school level for all Ghanaian children, this policy has significantly increased enrolment and broadened educational opportunities across the nation.
From over 800,000 students in 2017, the Ghana News Agency’s Kodjo Adams reports that Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, says the government enrolled 1.4 million students in 2023.
Apparently, some schools have been selected to even teach special courses, including aerospace engineering, among others.
Granted, the implementation has been fraught with numerous challenges. Though some of them are avoidable, it is normal in any policy implementation to experience some roadblocks along the way, especially at the onset. Give it the next decade, and this policy would be the best thing that happened to this nation after 1957.
Though this was a political promise fulfilled by the maker of the promise, the promise of the policy lives beyond one president, one party’s stance and, definitely, one generation of politicians simply seeking to serve their party in lieu of their constituents.
So, the policy must be enacted into law as soon as practicable.
A Divisive Debate: The debate over the Free SHS Bill has recently intensified, with major figures from both the majority and minority caucuses expressing strong opinions. Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called out the NDC minority, questioning their commitment to the Free SHS policy.
His concern stems from statements made by NDC members, particularly Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, who has expressed opposition to the bill, citing it as an unnecessary move.
Afenyo-Markin’s frustration was palpable as he demanded a clear stance from the NDC on whether they consider the Free SHS policy a priority.
“The NDC is opposed to this, and they have spoken through their ranking. So, we want them to tell Ghanaians whether Free SHS is not their priority as a responsible opposition,” he asserted.
In response, which for me was unfortunate but expected -knowing the kind of childish politics our politicians play with everything that will do good for Ghanaians, the NDC minority has firmly rejected the claims made by the majority.
During parliamentary proceedings, Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, vehemently denied any opposition to the Free SHS Bill, emphasizing that they can not oppose a bill that has yet to be presented to them.
“Mr. Speaker, for me, I see nothing but desperation on the part of the ruling party to create some form of disaffection for NDC MPs,” Dr. Forson stated.
He further questioned the delay in presenting the bill to parliament, highlighting that the minority is ready to support any legislation that aims to improve the quality of education.
Drop Your Colours and Pass the Bill: The back-and-forth between the majority and minority is completely unnecessary and a waste of everyone’s precious time and attention.
In fact, this needless debate about the state and future of education financing and management in Ghana is primitive, to say the least.
This behaviour underscores the below-the-belt politics we practice in this country. It shows how our politicians like to put up drama for the cameras and microphones of the media by opposing everything coming from the other side of the aisle without critical thinking and logical reasoning
The Free SHS policy has already demonstrated its potential by increasing access to education.
The proposed bill will solidify this initiative, ensuring its sustainability and addressing any implementation challenges. At least, that’s what I’ve heard and what I hope the bill will do (even as I wait to get a copy to read for myself when it is ready for public viewing).
Needless to state that education is a cornerstone of national development. By providing free senior high school education, Ghana is investing in its future leaders, innovators, and workforce.
The benefits of this policy transcend political affiliations and directly impact the country’s socio-economic progress.
Free SHS is a social protection policy, just like the Livelyhood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), or the School Feeding Programme. As a social protection programme, it is the right of every citizen who qualifies to enjoy it.
Therefore, it is imperative for both the NDC and NPP to prioritise the interests of Ghanaian children over partisan politics.
Moving Forward – Just pass the Bill: Since, you these same politicians have shared every other resource of the nation among yourselves, from land to gold, to cocoa and even some un-mined resources, can you at least agree and pass this bill into law so that the policy can only be improved upon by successive governments instead of the potential of a different government abolishing it.
I was not too young to see how a change from 3 years SHS to 4 and back to 3 years hampered education progression in this country. I grew up preparing to attend SHS for 3, but as a result of numerous reforms, an originally three-year curriculum was extended to 4 years in 2007 by the John Kuffour-led NPP government. In early 2009, as soon as the late Attah Mills-led NDC took over office, another reform made SHS a 3-year curriculum again. There are still Ghanaians who have not recovered from that unnecessary mishap.
Going forward, both parties must engage in constructive dialogue, focusing on the common goal of enhancing Ghana’s educational system.
The NDC has expressed willingness to support a bill that improves education quality, which should be seen as a foundation for collaboration rather than conflict. The majority must also ensure transparency and timely presentation of the bill to facilitate informed discussions and decisions.
And to my ‘Fellow Ghanaians’, we must learn to hold our leaders accountable to work together in passing this Free SHS Bill. This legislation is not just about formalising an existing policy; it is about securing the future of our youth and, by extension, our nation.
By setting aside partisan colours and focusing on the collective good, our parliamentarians can demonstrate true leadership, for once in their life, and some tini-tiny commitment to national development (I’m hoping they’ve some left in them)
The call to action is clear: NPP and NDC members of parliament must unite to pass the Free SHS Bill into law.
If they play with it, let’s learn from our compatriots in Kenya.
I rest my case. But heart rests not.
By Abiwu Theodore Korku Mawutor
