‘Free SHS for All’ Begins in September

In September 2017, when the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government began the Free Senior High School (SHS) program with only first-year students, some political analysts questioned the essence of ‘Free SHS’ as it only benefitted first-year students and not all SHS students.


Prior to the 2016 election, when then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo promised the Free SHS policy, it was believed by many that Free SHS meant free for every student in SHS at the time.

However, when the programme was implemented in 2017, it saw only first-year students as the pioneers of the programme – amidst heavy criticism from his political opponents.

Now, two years down the line – as the third batch of beneficiaries have completed their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) – from September this year, when they receive their placements into various SHSs across, the country will make every SHS student in the country a beneficiary under the policy.

The placement of these candidates into SHSs by September will also bring the number of beneficiaries of the policy to about 1.3million.