The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described the government’s flagship program SHS Free High School (SHS) as a poor target. The Foundation made this observation in its latest country report on Ghana, whose $3 billion bailout request it recently approved.
According to the report, the free SHS program “covers the full cost of secondary education, has helped increase enrollment but is not precisely targeted.”
The IMF also revealed that Ghana spends almost 4% of GDP on education with good admission but poor academic performance.
Key areas identified by the IMF for potential improvement in education spending include strengthening primary education resources, better teacher training, and stronger performance-based financing practices.
GIN verifications revealed that the free SHS program has been allocated a budget of more than 11.3 billion CHO since 2019. In the 2023 budget, the government demonstrated its commitment by stating that the implementation of the Free SHS program remained unchanged.
He also mentioned that “total beneficiaries are now 1.3 million students for the 2021/22 school year” and that this year, “the government will continue to implement the free SHS program and will continue to facilitate access to different educational opportunities”. factors.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, who spoke at a rally organized by the New Patriotic Party ahead of the by-election in Kumawu on May 23, said President Mahama had been inconsistent in his views. my point about the free SHS policy.
According to him, the NDC standard-bearer has now shifted his argument from canceling the program to expanding it to include graduate private schools as well.
The contradictions do not make former President Mahama trustworthy, he said.
In July 2022, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said a review of the free high school policy was still an ongoing possibility. He explained that the Department of Education continues to review the policy with the aim of understanding how parents can be included in a non-coercive manner.
“Continuous revision is a possibility on the table. And that’s just to make sure the right education is provided and waste is eliminated, while giving us value for money,” Ofori-Atta told Joy Business’ George Wiafe in an interview.
