Ghana’s Free Senior High School Program Marks 8-Year Milestone: A Mixed Bag of Progress and Challenges

Ghana’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) program has reached a significant milestone, celebrating eight years of providing free secondary education to over 2.5 million students. The program’s first beneficiaries have now completed their tertiary education, a testament to its far-reaching impact. However, despite notable successes, the program faces significant challenges that underscore the need for urgent reforms.

The FSHS program has increased access to education, particularly for underserved populations, and has improved literacy rates, achieved gender parity in secondary education, and aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, and 10. These achievements demonstrate the program’s transformative potential.

However, issues such as overcrowding, resource constraints, unequal access, and the absence of a legislative framework threaten the program’s sustainability. To address these challenges, the Center for Performance Tracking and Outcome Mapping (CePTOM) advocates for a comprehensive national dialogue to re-examine the program’s implementation and sustainability.

CePTOM recommends a multi-stakeholder engagement to:

Evaluate successes and challenges: Assess the program’s impact and identify areas for improvement.
Identify sustainable funding models: Explore cost-sharing mechanisms and alternative funding sources.
Address disparities: Ensure equity between urban and rural schools.
Enhance infrastructure and resources: Improve teacher-student ratios, infrastructure, and resource availability.

To ensure the program’s sustainability, CePTOM suggests adopting the Outcome Mapping Approach, a collaborative framework that engages all stakeholders and fosters ownership and accountability.

As Ghana moves forward, it is essential for all stakeholders – government, civil society, educators, parents, political parties, and development partners – to unite and safeguard the country’s future through sustainable education reforms. The FSHS program has opened doors for many, but it is crucial to ensure that these doors lead to opportunities, empowerment, and a brighter future for every Ghanaian child.

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Reflecting On Ghana’s Free Senior High School Program: Progress, Limitations, And A Call For Sustainable Education Reforms
The Center for Performance Tracking and Outcome Mapping (CePTOM) acknowledges the eight-year milestone of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) program, which has provided free secondary education to over 2.5 million Ghanaian students. The first beneficiaries of the program have now completed their tertiary education, a testament to the initiative’s far-reaching impact. While the FSHS program has significantly increased access to education, particularly for underserved populations, it has not been without its challenges. The success stories, such as improved literacy rates, gender parity in secondary education, and alignment with SDGs 4, 5, and 10, highlight the transformative potential of the program. However, issues such as overcrowding, resource constraints, unequal access, and the absence of a legislative framework underscore the need for urgent reforms.

A Call for National Dialogue
CePTOM strongly advocates for a comprehensive national dialogue to re-examine the FSHS program’s implementation and sustainability. This aligns with H.E. John Dramani Mahama’s campaign promise to convene a national consultative conference on education. Such an engagement should:
• Evaluate the successes and challenges of the FSHS program.
• Identify sustainable funding models, including cost-sharing mechanisms.
• Address disparities between urban and rural schools to ensure equity.
• Enhance infrastructure, teacher-student ratios, and resource availability.
Sustainable Reforms for Education
To ensure the program’s sustainability, CePTOM recommends the adoption of the Outcome Mapping Approach, a collaborative framework that engages all stakeholders, students, parents, teachers, policymakers, development partners, and community leaders, as boundary partners. This approach will foster ownership and accountability while addressing the core principles of equity, effectiveness, and responsiveness.

Our Collective Responsibility
CePTOM calls on all stakeholders—government, civil society, educators, parents, political parties, and development partners to unite to safeguard Ghana’s future through sustainable education reforms. The FSHS program has opened doors for many, but it is incumbent on us all to ensure that these doors lead to opportunities, empowerment, and a brighter future for every Ghanaian child.

About CePTOM
The Center for Performance Tracking & Outcome Mapping (CePTOM) is a Development and Project Management Think Tank established in 2011. CePTOM specializes in promoting collaborative initiatives, holding implementing partners accountable, and ensuring that development programs deliver measurable and sustainable results.