Nine years into Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, the Centre for Policy Scrutiny has highlighted ongoing hidden costs that still burden families.
In a report titled “Improved Access, Quality Questioned: A Report on Nine Years of Ghana’s Free SHS,” presented on Tuesday, 1 September by Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah of the University of Education, Winneba, the Centre notes that late delivery of uniforms and textbooks, along with prospectus-related expenses, often forces parents to pay out of pocket for items the policy is meant to cover.
While the programme has greatly expanded access to secondary education, the findings show that schooling under Free SHS is not always completely free. Parents frequently end up buying uniforms and textbooks themselves when official supplies are delayed.
The double-track system adds further strain: shorter classroom time has led some families to pay for private extra classes to make up for reduced instructional hours.
These extra outlays amount to concealed costs that hit low-income households hardest the very group the policy was intended to help. As the report puts it, the “Free” is not always free; many families still face significant expenses.
The Free SHS scheme was designed to eliminate financial barriers by covering tuition and admission fees in public senior high schools.
Government is also meant to supply textbooks, support library and science facilities, and meet the costs of WASSCE and internal exams. Boarding students receive food and lodging, while day students are entitled to meals. Yet the report argues that shortfalls in implementation continue to leave some parents covering essential educational needs themselves.
