Free Senior High School

Although the incentive is accessible for all high school students, the demographic the policy aimed to benefit the greatest were those in rural and disadvantaged communities. The policy has supported other practical governmental contributions to the livelihoods of poorer students and their families.[8] Initially, high achieving students in these areas were awarded simply with scholarship and internship opportunities. The policy in its broad accessibility has formed more equitable means of improving the proportion of marginal to inframarginal expenditure in high school educational funding and educational opportunities.[9]

In the policy's initial introduction into the public sphere, there was disapproval due to a lack of understanding of its nature. Commotion concerning increasing upper-class taxes and adding pressure onto middle class and lower class students to achieve higher than already expected grades. Fears of failures to adequately distribute resources and funds could have posed further risk of disadvantage for students already experiencing difficulties. Free SHS maximised literacy levels increased economic and social developments.[8] It has released parental demands of educational finances to shift to focusing on building their family's resilience and social welfare.[8] The initial negative social response transformed to overwhelming support, especially for its ability to deter adolescents from social vices to make impactful contributions to their local communities.[8]

Senior High School Students Learning

Governmental and non-governmental institutions as well as parliamentary allegiances, had to alleviate political viewpoints in the periods of creating and modifying the policy. Education as a shared custom between the parties was the focus amongst the socio-economic debates of the policy.[8] An imperative focus between political actors and influencers was created to provide quality as well as quantity in the introduction of education policies in Ghana. The demand for quality education previously became outweighed by political imperatives of political parties.[10] The respective parties in the formation of the SHS policy appealed to socialist beliefs and mechanisms to ensure that the policy would be collectively produced and managed without political prejudices over previous policies.[8]

Educational institutions have rightly so produced their own research on the resources, schools, teachers, and students to assess the effectiveness of the policy. The quantity of students now enrolled in Secondary High school in comparison to before the implementation of the policy where admission fees were essential for acceptance has substantially increased.[8] In the years 2017 and 2018 every student, especially those in the one third of public schools located in rural areas academically benefited from the policy.[8] Students were given free textbooks and other learning materials that would generally be applied to full scholarship recipients.[11]

The anticipation for high school students to join career fields in the public sector that necessitate tertiary education, could now be further encouraged. A gap reduction has formed in university graduates who acquire degrees without the achievement of secondary studies. Previously, 70% of high school students that desired government employee positions by the age of 25 was realistically achieved by only 6% of that percentage.[9] Through the policy the labour market has expanded in diverse fields with more educated individuals to progress the nation's development,[9] Studies highlighted that students with higher economic capital in comparison to their economically disadvantaged peers are given an abundance of educational opportunities.[7] Promoting free high school education became an argument that it would fuel Ghana's economic growth[11] The Free SHS policy widens the eligibility and success rate of these educational opportunities with an aim for the individual to develop into a societal asset.

St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Ghana

Policies that prioritise student welfare, encourages young people to be more politically conscious and engaged with political affairs.[9] It has built voter's confidence for a lot of senior high school students and their families where support for political parties are now reliant on recognised party results and not on party philosophies.[9] The non-discriminatory nature of the Free SHS policy has improved political awareness and functionality within Ghana, through its ability to be both a political promise to society and eventually become a successful product of it. It has encouraged citizen understanding and trustworthiness of taxation in the belief that the tax will directly contribute to financing the policy.[11] The Free SHS policy is a testament to modern day democratic politics where an initial intention results in an effective political impact, where policy and laws are executed in favour of the development of citizens and their society.[10]

The policy lifted the financial burden for most parents, who can now be more supportive in their child's academia without feeling dependent on scholarships or private benefits.[9] In aim to afford long term educational costs, lower income households commonly neglect the short term educational costs. Hence the tuition payment for parents and guardians was essential obligation and the purchasing of school equipment became secondary needs. The Free SHS policy covers the primary and secondary expenditure that caregivers were burdened to provide despite their economic incapability to do so.[11] Initially most parents would pay for secondary school tuition based on their own ability to understand their child's competency, but are now relieved of the social hindrance of choosing some children over others to be educated.[9]

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Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis on Free SHS

To minimize the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus, the Ministry of Education (MoE) developed a closure and return to schools plan following the executive order of President Nana Kufo Addo, which ordered schools at all levels to close on March 20, 2020.[22] Initially some SHS3 students were to be allowed to continue preparing for their West African Senior School Certificate Examination, but shortly after all schools were closed entirely.[22] In addition the MoE ordered that, only the second year high school students should return to school to complete their second semester academic year, starting from 5 October 2020. A number of strategies were implemented to sustain education across levels despite closures, including lessons that were broadcast via television and radio segments across Ghana, as well as the development of some limited distance or e-learning platforms.[22]

In January 2021 (after a 10-month closure), by presidential order schools were reopened in Ghana with the requirement that schools monitor students infection status through temperature checks and all students wear masks at all times.[23]