President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has answered to calls for the Free SHS policy to be more specific, suggesting that those who can afford private school fees should enroll their children in private institutions.
His comments come amid concerns about the financial burden the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy places on the national budget.
Earlier, the President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Yaw Acheampong Boafo, had called on the government to rethink the policy, suggesting that affluent families should pay fees so that more resources can be directed to students from less privileged backgrounds.
Speaking at the 2024/2025 Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Kumasi, President Akufo-Addo defended the Free SHS policy, emphasizing that public schools funded by taxpayers must remain free for all, particularly for those who would not otherwise be able to afford secondary education.
“People who can afford to pay fees for the education of their wards should send them to fee-paying private schools. Public schools that are funded by the taxpayer should be free to all who will otherwise be unable to pay for their education.
“That is why the number of pupils who have access to secondary education has doubled since the introduction of the free senior high school policy.”
“Over 5.7 million persons have benefitted from the policy since its inception. The following impact of this dramatic development will be felt in due course and will far outweigh the small number of privileged parents who can afford to pay for the education of their wards,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
