Ghana's Free SHS policy faces infrastructure and sustainability challenges

Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy is facing significant operational and sustainability challenges. At KNUST Senior High School in Kumasi, management is considering reducing admissions due to a severe infrastructure deficit. Headmaster Anthony Boasiako Duodu-Antwi reported that the current population of 4,121 students and 245 staff has overstretched existing facilities, forcing some classes to be held in abandoned or dilapidated structures.

Duodu-Antwi noted that while the Free SHS policy has increased enrollment, the school has received minimal infrastructural support, with only one emergency dormitory project provided since the policy's inception. This lack of resources has placed immense pressure on dormitories and laboratories.

Separately, policy analyst Dr. Jacob Oppong Nkansah has warned that inadequate stakeholder consultation and the perceived politicization of the Free SHS program could threaten its long-term viability. Speaking at a lecture organized by the Centre for Policy Scrutiny, Dr. Nkansah emphasized that while the policy has expanded access for disadvantaged families, concerns regarding sustainable financing and stakeholder ownership remain critical issues for future governments.