We are improving Free SHS, not cancelling it – Mahama

President John Mahama has reaffirmed the Ghanaian government's dedication to enhancing the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program, refuting allegations that he plans to discontinue the initiative introduced by his predecessor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in 2017. The President's administration's decision to maintain and refine the program underscores its determination to ensure secondary education accessibility for all Ghanaian children irrespective of their financial status.

While addressing his ongoing tour of the Upper East Region, Mahama inaugurated an E-Block school facility, underscoring the government's commitment to expanding educational infrastructure in the area. The President clarified that claims of scrapping the Free SHS policy if re-elected were mere propaganda by his political adversaries during the 2024 election campaign.

He emphasized that the government's objective is not to abolish the program but to enhance its delivery and tackle the issues that have emerged since its inception. Speaking on the broader Resetting Ghana Agenda, Mahama stated that the administration is striving for improved educational quality and accessibility at all levels, including secondary education.

He recounted the campaign claim in 2024 that he would abolish Free SHS, labeling it as propaganda. Instead, he highlighted the government's focus on improving the Free SHS to boost learning outcomes and education quality. Prior to Mahama's administration, a significant challenge was the provision of meals to Senior High School students, which has largely been resolved, and the meals' quality has improved.

The commissioning of the E-Block facility is part of broader efforts to expand educational infrastructure and enhance educational standards nationwide. Introduced in 2017, the Free SHS program has significantly increased enrollment in public senior high schools but has also faced challenges regarding infrastructure, feeding, overcrowding, and resource allocation.

Mahama assured that his administration would resolve these challenges rather than rescind the policy, stressing the goal of making Free SHS more effective and sustainable.