Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy has created some unintended challenges for student discipline and academic accountability, a study by the Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) has found.
The study, which assessed nine years of the Free SHS policy, identified the “no repetition” rule, restrictions on punishment and the auto-placement system among factors contributing to student complacency and teacher apathy in some senior high schools.
Presenting the findings, a lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah, said the absence of repetition as a consequence for poor academic performance could reduce the motivation of some students to take their studies seriously.
The study also found that restrictions on corporal punishment and procedures governing disciplinary action had limited the options available to teachers and school authorities in addressing misconduct.
According to Dr Nkansah, this could contribute to teacher apathy, particularly when teachers feel constrained in enforcing discipline.
The research further raised concerns about the auto-placement system, saying that although it was introduced to improve access to senior high schools, it had implications for students’ sense of responsibility and commitment to their academic choices.
Another concern identified was the misuse of government-issued tablets by some students, despite the devices being introduced to support teaching and learning.
The CPS study suggests that while Free SHS has expanded access to secondary education, greater attention must be paid to student discipline, academic accountability and teacher authority to improve learning outcomes.
No Comment! Be the first one.