Some parents in the Ashanti Region are raising concerns about the financial burden associated with the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, arguing that the initiative is not truly “free.”

Speaking to Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah, several parents complained that the cost of purchasing items listed in the school prospectus has become excessively high, undermining the government’s promise of free education.

One parent revealed spending nearly GHS 7,000 on prospectus items for a child recently admitted to SHS, while another said they spent GHS 6,000 on similar requirements.

Both described the situation as financially draining.

“The government says education is free, but when you add up the cost of the items, transportation, and other expenses, it’s too expensive for the average parent,” one of them lamented.

The parents appealed to the government and the Ministry of Education to review and regulate the prospectus lists, emphasising that the current costs place a heavy burden on families, especially those with more than one child in secondary school.

They further urged authorities to ensure that the Free SHS programme lives up to its name by minimising costs that make education inaccessible to low-income households.