President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his commitment to sustaining the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy while pledging to improve its implementation.
The policy, which was initially introduced by the former president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, in 2017, has been a cornerstone of Ghana’s educational reforms but has faced significant challenges, particularly regarding infrastructure and food supply.
During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of his second term on Thursday, February 27, 2025, President Mahama assured Ghanaians that the Free SHS program would not be canceled but rather enhanced to address its shortcomings.
In his address, President Mahama made a firm declaration: “I, President John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana, will not cancel the Free SHS program. I’m determined to make it better by improving its implementation.”
In addressing the challenges, he stated that the Free SHS policy has been lauded for increasing access to secondary education, particularly for students from low-income families. However, its implementation has been marred by logistical and infrastructural challenges.
President Mahama acknowledged these issues and outlined plans to address them, including:
Infrastructure Development; Expanding school facilities to accommodate the growing number of students.
Improved Logistics; Ensuring timely delivery of food and teaching materials to schools.
Teacher Training; Enhancing the capacity of educators to deliver quality education under the policy.
