Free SHS to Become Mandatory- Education Minister Reveals

Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister responsible for Education, has announced that Cabinet has approved a plan to make senior high school education both free and mandatory.

“Cabinet has approved the proposal to enact the law that will ensure free and compulsory universal secondary education,” Dr Adutwum said at the “State of Education in Ghana” programme.

The Minister highlighted the importance of this legislation in providing legal backing and sustainability for the Free SHS policy.

“When you hear of us talking about free compulsory universal secondary education and the enactment of an act to guide and protect free secondary education, we are talking about ensuring that no child has a choice to say, ‘I will not go to secondary school,’” he said.

Dr. Adutwum, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, described the Free SHS policy as revolutionary, noting that it has enrolled 1.4 million children since its launch in 2017.

“Before the introduction of free secondary school education, a little over eight hundred thousand students were enrolled in senior high schools, today, it is 1.4 million plus. This is a great accomplishment,” he said.

Background

Last month, the majority group in parliament disclosed that the government is preparing to present a Free Senior High School Bill. This bill aims to make the free SHS policy obligatory for future administrations.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin announced this at a press event prior to Parliament’s return from recess on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

He mentioned that a finalized bill is ready for introduction by Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

According to Hon. Afenyo-Markin, the measure is designed to prevent any future government from reversing the policy.

He stressed, “If we consider it [Free SHS bill] as a House, what that means is that it becomes mandatory for governments to implement this.” He added, “Unless it is repealed, no government would have the right to say, I am not going to enforce Free SHS because now it is law, so if you fail, a citizen can apply to the court and the court can exact justice in that citizen’s favour.”