YAFO Institute seeks reform of Free SHS Policy, citing extra costs to households

At a Free SHS Policy Reform Dialogue held on October 10, 2024, Nathaniel Dwamena, President of the YAFO Institute, raised concerns about the unintended financial and social consequences of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy on households.

The event, themed “Reforming Free SHS: Addressing Unintended Consequences and Household Poverty in Ghana,” was part of ongoing efforts to assess and improve the policy.

Dwamena revealed the findings of a recent study conducted by the YAFO Institute, which aimed to document how the Free SHS policy has impacted families across Ghana. Contrary to the policy’s objective of easing financial burdens, the research found that many households are incurring additional costs due to hidden fees and other expenses related to their children’s education.

“The Free SHS policy, which was supposed to reduce financial costs for parents, is rather bringing additional costs to them,” Dwamena said.

“These costs include expenses for accommodation, extra classes, feeding, and other essentials that the policy claims to cover but which parents are still paying for. What is even worse is that they also have to pay unofficial fees to enrol their wards in some of these institutions,” he added.

From the research, only 41% of parents surveyed felt the Free SHS policy was helpful, while 58% expressed dissatisfaction with the double-track system, a key component of the policy. “This shows that some of these unintended consequences are real, and parents are facing them,” Dwamena said.

One of the most significant findings, according to YAFO’s research, was that 14% of parents recommended the cancellation of the policy.

“We asked in the survey that parents should give their recommendations, and 14% said we should cancel the policy, and it’s staggering, as you mentioned, because the thing is supposed to be free—reduce costs on the part of parents taking their wards to school—and above all, it is supposed to help them save.”

However, the Institute found that 62% of parents were unable to save any money as a result of the policy, while the remaining 38% managed to save an average of only GHC 13 per month—an amount Dwamena described as “no saving at all” given the current inflation and cost of living.

Further, parents also highlighted additional costs stemming from extra classes, which are conducted both in school and at home, further straining household budgets. 

A particularly alarming unintended consequence identified in the research was teenage pregnancy, with 6% of parents attributing this to the prolonged periods students spend at home. “We have about 14% of parents reporting that their children stay at home much longer than expected, which goes against the policy’s objectives,” Dwamena explained.

Another concern was the issue of hunger among students, with some parents having to send money to their children for additional feeding as the food provided in schools was insufficient.

Dwamena noted that these factors have led to increased financial burdens, further worsening the economic situation of parents.

In terms of solutions, the president of the think tank suggested “a decentralised scholarship system where headmasters of basic schools can recommend students who would benefit from Free SHS, helping to ease the burden on the government.”