Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education under the New Patriotic Party administration has strongly defended the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) program, countering criticisms that the policy has deteriorated the quality of education in Ghana.

Addressing the nation on the state of education, Dr. Adutwum presented significant improvements in key subjects as evidence of the policy’s success, challenging critics to re-evaluate their stance based on factual data.

“We hear people saying that ‘the Free SHS has diminished education outcomes,’ and sometimes when I hear that, I ask, ‘What kind of planet do they live on?’ How has Free SHS destroyed the educational system?”
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, Ghana

The Minister of Education emphasized that the extension of educational opportunities to economically disadvantaged students should not be viewed negatively.

“Now that the poor get the opportunity to go, everything is bad because the poor people are in the room. We need to bring everybody on board. Let’s look at the data and judge for ourselves,” he urged.

Furthermore, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum highlighted compelling statistics to illustrate the positive impact of the government’s flagship Free SHS policy.

He underscored a substantial increase in the percentage of students earning credit scores in key subjects since the policy’s implementation.

According to him, in 2015, only 45.2% of students earned a credit score in English Language while by 2023, the figure had risen to 73.11%, with students achieving grades from A1 to C6.

Similar improvements he noted were achieved in other core subjects, adding that in Integrated Science, the pass rate increased from 28.7% in 2015 to 66.82% in 2023, while in Mathematics, the pass rate rose from 32.4% to 62.23% over the same period.

“Since Free SHS students began graduating in 2020, there has not been a single year where any subject’s pass rate has fallen below 50%,” Dr. Adutwum highlighted, showcasing the continuous upward trend in academic performance under the Free SHS policy.

Headmasters and Teachers Eulogized for Role in Free SHS Success

Moreover, the Education Minister praised the dedication of Ghana’s headmasters and teachers, acknowledging their hard work and resilience, especially during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Adutwum underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of their financial status, receive quality education.

His presentation of data-backed improvements aims to silence critics and reinforce the policy’s positive contributions to Ghana’s educational system.

Additionally, the Bosomtwe Member of Parliament expressed the government’s commitment to addressing the high student dropout ratio across the country, acknowledging the Africa Education Watch for its significant effort in reporting such matters.

He pointed out that even though the ruling New Patriotic Party has not addressed all the problems facing the country’s education system since its assumption to power in 2017, its significant and remarkable achievements cannot be overemphasized or downplayed.

“We may not have gotten where we wanted to be, however, we are not where we used to be”, Dr. Yaw emphasized, underscoring the unparalleled gains made in education by the New Patriotic Party administration under President Akufo-Addo

He called for collaboration among all stakeholders in the country’s education sector to cooperate with the government to improve the country’s educational system for the benefit of the country.

The Free SHS program, introduced by the government in 2017, aims to provide accessible secondary education to all Ghanaian students, irrespective of their economic backgrounds

Despite facing criticism from some quarters regarding its impact on the quality of education, the government maintains that the policy has not only increased access to education but also improved academic outcomes.