President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has proudly highlighted the success of the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative, announcing that more than 5.7 million students have benefited from the programme since its inception in 2017.

During his tour of the Western North Region on Tuesday, 5 November 2024, the President underscored the transformative impact of the policy on Ghana’s education system.

“The changes that have come in our educational system are dramatic,” President Akufo-Addo stated, emphasising that Free SHS has not only increased access to secondary education but has also enabled a generation of students to pursue their academic goals without the barrier of school fees.

He noted that prior to the programme, over 100,000 students each year could not continue to SHS due to financial constraints, leading to the loss of over 1 million students in the last decade.

“When I assumed the reins of government, we had 800,000 students in senior high school, but today that figure has more than doubled. To date, 5.7 million students have benefited from the Free SHS policy,” he said.

The President acknowledged the challenges faced during the implementation of the initiative but emphasised that the programme’s successes far outweigh the obstacles.

He specifically pointed to the positive effect on families across the nation who once struggled to afford senior high school fees, enabling their children to continue their education and improve their future prospects.

In a direct address to his critics, whom he referred to as “Jeremiahs,” President Akufo-Addo expressed satisfaction that the Free SHS programme had proven its doubters wrong.

“I told you it would work, and now the results are clear. Free SHS is a game-changer,” he affirmed.

He reiterated his government’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for the youth, noting that the Free SHS initiative was a cornerstone of his administration’s vision for an inclusive and accessible education system in Ghana.