{
  "id": 5051604,
  "title": "Stakeholder consultation key to sustaining Free SHS – Dr Nkansah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/stakeholder-consultation-key-to-sustaining-free-shs-dr-nkansah",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T08:21:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/stakeholder-consultation-key-to-sustaining-free-shs-dr-nkansah/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah, a Policy Analyst and Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, has cautioned that inadequate stakeholder consultation and perceived politicization could jeopardize the long-term sustainability of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy. While the program has significantly increased access to secondary education and reduced financial barriers for disadvantaged households, concerns persist over ownership, program design, and sustainable financing.\n\nAt a public lecture in Accra, Nkansah highlighted the lack of consultation during the formulation and implementation stages of the policy. Teachers, principals, graduates, and non-teaching staff expressed concerns about gaps in stakeholder involvement. The study, conducted across four geographical zones and involving schools classified as Category A, B, C, and D, indicated that both official and political factors influenced the policy's introduction. Although the official goal was to bridge educational inequalities and expand access, especially for disadvantaged and first-generation students, some respondents believed the policy was also influenced by electoral considerations and campaign promises. This perception raises concerns about the policy's continuity under different administrations.\n\nNkansah emphasized the need for broader stakeholder engagement, clearer program design, and sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure the Free SHS policy's future. Dr Adu Owusu Sarkodie, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS), called for concerted efforts to address the policy's challenges rather than abandoning it. He acknowledged the program's significant achievements in expanding access to secondary education and reducing financial barriers but stressed that challenges like school congestion must be addressed. Sarkodie highlighted the policy's social and economic benefits, including poverty reduction, improved incomes, and enhanced human capital development. He noted that an educated workforce, including skilled individuals in the informal sector, is crucial for improving productivity, professionalism, and incomes in Ghana.\n\nThe CPS research, which included both achievements and challenges, aims to provide recommendations to strengthen the policy's implementation. The forum served as a platform for the think tank to engage stakeholders, solicit ideas, and develop practical solutions to improve the Free SHS program. Participants were urged to engage in objective and non-partisan discussions to foster sustainable solutions.",
  "summary": "Inadequate stakeholder consultation and the perceived politicisation of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy could threaten the long-term sustainability of the flagship education intervention, a Policy Analyst and Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah, has warned. He said although the policy had significantly expanded access to secondary education…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}