The ‘New’ Free Senior High School Policy in Ghana: Emergent Issues and Challenges of Implementation in Schools

Chanimbe, Timothy; Dankwah, Kwaku Opoku

doi:10.1007/s10780-021-09440-6

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…They also suggested that free education had a negative effect on student motivation and discipline. Similar observations were made by Titeca & Huylebroeck (2015) in Uganda and Chanimbe & Opoku (2021) in Ghana. The presumed association between competitive examinations, fees, and student motivation may be disagreeable to progressive educationalists.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Our third and final research question is 'How do stakeholders perceive the implementation of the Free SHS policy?'. Previous studies have shown that the Free SHS policy has been beset by a range of implementation problems, including the late disbursement of funds, overcrowding of classrooms, and teacher shortages (Chanimbe & Opoku, 2021;Mohammed & Kuyini, 2020). These studies were conducted shortly after the policy was implemented, however, and it is not clear to what extent these problems persist five years after the rollout.…”

Section: Stakeholder Perspectives On Policy Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Casely-Hayford,

Gruijters,

Adjei

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy, which was introduced in 2017, is the most prominent and comprehensive free secondary education policy in the region. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives—students, parents, and school leaders—focusing on their perspectives on and experiences with the policy. The findings show that stakeholders generally appreciated the improvement in access, especially for low-income students and those from remote rural areas. However, they also indicated that the policy led to an inflow of unprepared students and exacerbated preexisting challenges related to scarce school resources and quality. Moreover, stakeholders believed that free secondary education reduced student motivation and increased the demand for boarding instead of day schooling. Based on these findings, we discuss options for improving the implementation of free secondary education policies and the Free SHS policy in particular.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Stakeholder Perspectives On Policy Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Casely-Hayford,

Gruijters,

Adjei

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, observed that Ghanaians who know a petroleum revenue-funded project are likely to be informed about the general petroleum revenue management in Ghana. More so, the Free SHS programme has increased student enrolment to the detriment of adequate teaching staff, learning materials, and school infrastructure (Chanimbe & Dankwah, 2021;Matey, 2020). Hence, those who knew about an existing project in their area could also have been aware of the challenges of the Free SHS programme, consequently, their negative sentiment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural language processing of spatially crowdsourced data in petroleum revenue management

Ogbe

2022

GeoJournal

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It has been over a decade of petroleum revenue utilisation in Ghana. Yet, there is a dearth of research on Ghanaians’ sentiments on petroleum revenue management in Ghana. However, research indicates that investigating citizens’ sentiments and addressing their grievances could prevent conflicts and promote better revenue utilisation in natural resource-rich countries. So, this study investigated Ghanaians’ sentiments about petroleum revenue management and its contribution to the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme in Ghana through an online survey. The study employed the quantitative approach in which the data was gathered through an online survey questionnaire and analysed using natural language processing techniques. The results show that the participants had negative sentiments about petroleum revenue management and the Free SHS programme in Ghana. However, they trust the managers and anticipate better revenue management in the future. The study recommends that the government should consult broadly with all stakeholders regarding petroleum revenue management to avoid potential conflicts. The article concludes that petroleum revenue managers can combine spatial crowdsourcing and natural language processing to extract citizens’ opinions at specific locations for better revenue management.

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“…In Uganda, the abolition of Parent-Teacher-Association dues led to a drop in teacher salaries, which reduced teachers' motivation and increased absenteeism (Molyneaux 2011;Titeca and Huylebroeck 2015). Similarly, stakeholder interviews showed that Ghana's Free SHS policy has been beset by a range of implementation challenges including shortage of infrastructure, delay in the supply of funds, food, and instructional materials, and personnel deficits (Chanimbe and Opoku 2021;Mohammed and Kuyini 2021). Teachers in Uganda and Ghana also suggested that providing free education had reduced student effort and motivation.…”

Section: The Impact Of Fse Initiatives On the Quality Of Teaching And...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary School Fee Abolition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Taking Stock of the Evidence

Gruijters¹,

Abango²,

Casely-Hayford³

2023

Preprint

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Several African countries have abolished secondary school fees in recent years, but there is no systematic evidence on the effectiveness of these initiatives. In this study, we take stock of free secondary education (FSE) initiatives in the region and review their impact on equitable access and the quality of teaching and learning, as well as their cost-effectiveness. We start by discussing the theoretical arguments for and against fee abolition. Second, we look at aggregate statistics on enrollment and transition rates, and find that primary school completion remains far from universal in most countries in the region, meaning that most low-income children are currently ineligible for free secondary education. Third, we provide a comprehensive overview of existing FSE policies in sub-Saharan Africa, showing that almost half of all countries in the region have abolished secondary school fees in the last two decades. Finally, we systemically review the empirical evidence on the impact and effectiveness of recent FSE initiatives. We conclude that free secondary education is an appropriate long-term goal for education systems but can be costly and inequitable in the short run, especially if it diverts resources from primary education. Our review suggests four concrete recommendations for policymakers, which are broadly aligned with the principle of ‘progressive universalism’ in improving access to education.

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The ‘New’ Free Senior High School Policy in Ghana: Emergent Issues and Challenges of Implementation in Schools

Cited by 14 publications

References 9 publications

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Natural language processing of spatially crowdsourced data in petroleum revenue management

Secondary School Fee Abolition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Taking Stock of the Evidence

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