President Nana Akufo-Addo has described the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as “transformational”, citing its impact on Ghana’s education sector.
In his final state of the nation address to Parliament on Friday, January 3, 2025, the outgoing president noted that the policy has provided access to secondary education for 5.7 million young people who would otherwise have been denied the opportunity.
“We have transformed education, and there can never be a reversal of the fact that some five-point-seven million (5.7 million) young people have gained access to secondary education,” he stated.
According to President Akufo-Addo, there have been improvements in the pass rates of students who have benefited from the policy.
“From 2020, when the first cohort of Free Senior High School (FSHS) candidates sat for the WASSCE, Ghana has consistently recorded over fifty percent (50%) of candidates scoring A1 to C6 in all four (4) core subjects,” he said.
Furthermore, Akufo-Addo emphasized the progress made in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), with the establishment of 34 new TVET institutions and the upgrading of 62 existing ones.
Additionally, he mentioned the development of 20 STEM centres and 10 model STEM Senior High Schools, as well as the construction of 186 new science laboratories nationwide.
“I am glad that we have elevated TVET and STEM to where they properly belong, and they will no longer be seen as the option for those who cannot make the top grade,” Akufo-Addo said.
“These institutions are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences with cutting-edge facilities. From coding to robotics, our students are being prepared for the demands of the 21st century.”
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