A case of Ghana's free SHS education system

Article 25 1b of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states that "Secondary education in its various forms, including technical and vocational education, shall be generalized and accessible to all by all means appropriate, and in particular by the gradual introduction of free education. This constitutional provision has seen the efforts of successive governments to progressively fulfill their mandate. These efforts appear to be further triggered by Goal 4, Goal 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which states that;

"By 2030, all boys and girls will complete free, quality and equitable primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes."

Based on the above and focused on removing cost barriers, expanding infrastructure, improving quality and equity and developing skills of employees, Ghana's current Free SHS was introduced in 2017. This policy is aptly paraphrased on its website;

"Free SHS means tuition fees, admission fees, textbooks, library fees, science center fees, computer fees, exam fees, tuition fees, utilities, meals and meals.

True to the above, the government has been trying since the beginning of the policy to keep the promise made to Ghanaians. The policy has seen a high number of enrollments at the high school level, with many parents noting a physical reduction in the burden of funding the education of their wards. Among these reduced costs, the policy has been criticized for lowering the level of education and reducing academic quality at the secondary level. The following paragraphs will discuss the factors that undermine policy and the mitigating factors to save the Ghanaian education system.

A key factor that has undermined politics is an inadequate clbadroom space to accommodate students. This led to structures initially unsuitable for clbadroom studies, converted to such purposes. Because clbadrooms are built for specific purposes (studies), other environments created for different purposes when used for studies may not achieve the intended objectives. This has led students to be unable to study in the required environments that guarantee successful teaching and learning. While this glaring infrastructure deficit is plentiful, other evidence suggests that the previous government had built blocks of clbadrooms for the same purpose that had not been used even in the midst of current clbadroom deficits. In the meantime, the previous government would have left some clbadroom infrastructure almost complete, the current government having abandoned all continuity before launching new projects from scratch. This situation forces school authorities to house students in structures that are not intended for clbadroom work. This position is corroborated by the edition of the Business and Finance Times of March 11, 2019, partially repeated below;

"A number of unfinished school projects in the Sefwi Wiaswo municipality, in the North West region, have forced school authorities to house students in structures designed as clbadrooms, while the number of students growing thanks to the Free High High School (FSHS) program »

The absence or insufficiency of inadequate clbad infrastructure hinders education in Ghana, especially in the case of free SHS.

Until now, food in Ghanaian boarding schools was the parents' responsibility (including tuition fees). Under the new policy, the government has absorbed the cost element, making its education budget heavier. This has seen the government repeatedly fight to feed students in residential schools; with the pressure reverberating on the management of these high schools. The case of Sefwi Wiawso High School Management, as reported by some members of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), as part of "The District Commitment and Inspection of the Project in 2019 Worth to be mentioned – "the delay in the release of funds and the untimely delivery of food products force the school to buy products on credit ".

Decent housing has also been a scourge for the quality of education in Ghana's free SHS system in recent times. As a basic need, decent shelter is necessary for human performance in all areas of life. However, with the increase in the number of registrations resulting from the free SHS, many students were forced to share spaces reserved for a few. This overpopulation of students has had a number of consequences, including illness and rape, which affect student performance. The July 23, 2018 edition of Graphic Online presents this same opinion in different terms.

"Dormitories and clbadrooms continue to be overcrowded, some students sleeping on the floor in dormitories, while some female students, who were not able to find accommodation in the dormitory," said the students. school enclosure and had to be lodged in rental locations, were violated.

In addition, the quality of education in any environment is largely related to the caliber of teachers in that education system. Due to the high number of registrations resulting from the free establishment of SHS, many schools, especially in rural areas, lack or lack of teachers in a number of courses, which can jeopardize the quality of teaching. It should be noted that in other cases, the system compromises standards by using fewer teachers for many students. For example, a study conducted by the Ghana Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) in 60 schools showed that some clbadrooms had up to 160 students and that their teaching staff was insufficient.

CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM
There is ample evidence that these problems can be identified with politics, poverty and ignorance

Policy
Without resorting to relevant literature, it has become a standard for many African governments (including Ghana) to undermine or downplay the achievements of previous governments. In case of inadequate clbadroom and dormitory infrastructure, the challenge is partly due to political factors. It should be noted that while the NDC government of the day started and completed a number of clbadroom projects, some of these projects remained unused under the current regime due to the dire need for infrastructure. clbad. It is evident that some of the structures of the previous government were almost completed, but that the current regime left them unfinished, while contracts are awarded for new clbadroom and dormitory projects due to urgent deficits in the halls. clbad.

Poverty
Free in most cases, prices / prices are high. Many are aware of this fact and yet have decided to enroll their wards in the free SHS system. In Ghana, while the level of secondary education is being lowered, people with children in well-paid and well-paid secondary schools reap the benefits of their investments because they pay appropriate fees for appropriate training. This author is therefore of the opinion that one of the main causes of lowering standards at the high school level is poverty – poor parents can not go to schools with high school education. infrastructure needed to pay appropriate fees for appropriate training. This statement does not derogate too much from the political factor; It should be noted that politicians from here and elsewhere will use the vulnerability of their electorate to gain political time – in the case of Ghana, poverty, although its consequences are disastrous for our education system.

Ignoring
The enthusiasm with which Ghanaians have accepted free SHS since its inception seems to be gradually fading as they begin to feel the true implications of this policy. The author is of the opinion that the expectations of Ghanaians at the announcement of the policy are far from reality, with many actors, parents and school officials openly denouncing the policy (including those who initially supported it) .

Implications for higher education in Ghana
Due to pressure on the government due to the increase in the number of registrations, the government had to introduce the dual track system in order to reduce the pressure on the current clbad infrastructure to the time. The above tends to recruit as many high school graduates each year. This will put corresponding pressure on Ghanaian universities in terms of admission and will receive a high number each year.

In addition, since the policy appears to have affected the quality of Ghana's SHS system, with Ghana ranking second in the World Bank rankings next to Niger, Ghana's universities will absorb poorly trained SHS graduates. This will put pressure on clbadroom activities, especially learning, as lecturers will have to do more for students to understand.

Third, as reported by the World Bank, Ghana's level of education at the secondary level is declining. This has problems of image for the country and other implications for Ghanaians on their own labor market and on the labor market abroad.

Ghanaian students wishing to be admitted to the university abroad may also be limited due to lowering standards, which can not negate the implementation of free SHS.

Final opinions
Education is such a delicate product and its policies need to be carefully thought through before they are implemented. It may be argued that the policy itself is a good idea, but the resources needed and the way it is implemented seem problematic. It is the opinion of this writer that;

The phased implementation (district, region, etc.) would have given the government sufficient space to implement the policy in an orderly and stress-free manner.

The continuation of the policy would therefore depend on the resources. The government should therefore consider a source of complementary funding for the policy or ask parents to honor their responsibilities so that Ghana can have a decent, respectable and universally accepted high school education.

A number of Ghanaians are able and willing to pay fees for their pupils to study. The government should leave room for these parents to pay.