Education drives economic growth and individual well-being. Secondary education, in particular, plays a crucial role. In recent decades, this recognition has encouraged several African countries to make secondary education free. One example is Ghana’s Free Public Senior High School (FreeSHS) policy, initiated in 2017.
Education drives economic growth and individual well-being. Secondary education, in particular, plays a crucial role. In recent decades, this recognition has encouraged several African countries to make secondary education free. One example is Ghana’s Free Public Senior High School (FreeSHS) policy, initiated in 2017.
The policy aimed to remove cost barriers to secondary education, including fees, textbooks, boarding and meals.
As scholars of public policy, we conducted research into the impact of the policy, particularly its effect on the number of girls completing secondary school. We emphasized the educational outcomes of girls because they are at a disadvantage when accessing higher education in Ghana. The enrollment and retention of girls in school decrease with each educational level.
Socio-culturally, if a family has limited resources, they tend to spend more on boys’ education than on girls’ education and this is reinforced by the belief that girls’ labor around the house is more valuable.
The results highlighted that the state’s absorption of education costs had served as a critical incentive for students to complete secondary education —and more so for girls.
Our paper is the first to quantitatively evaluate the policy’s impact on education outcomes. Also, by focusing on the policy’s impact on schoolgirls, our findings show how removing cost barriers to education significantly enhances the chances of girls in completing secondary education. This is important because aside from female education having individual benefits, « to educate girls is to reduce poverty », as former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said.
Our findings contribute to the call for greater schooling access for girls.
Ghana’s Free Public Senior High School policy arose from an election campaign promise made by President Nana Akufo-Addo during campaign trails in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
