Private Legal Practitioner and a Spokesperson of the Movement for Change Appiah-Danquah Esq. has expressed significant concerns about the commitment, implementation, and sustainability of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) program.
His comments delve into the program’s history, challenges, and lack of a long-term financing strategy.
Lawyer Appiah Danquah began by highlighting the longstanding tradition of schools in Ghana managing their own supply chains for food and other necessities before the introduction of Free SHS. He remarked;
“Ghana, for over 98 years, has been in the business of purchasing food to service dining halls and feed children. So, it’s quite worrying that after all these years, we are sitting here discussing supply chain issues.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
He criticized the government for the lack of proper planning and noted the irony in recent discussions by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) about decentralizing food supply for schools after nearly eight years of implementing Free SHS.
Citing Luke 14:31, Lawyer Danquah drew parallels between the government’s implementation of Free SHS and a king going to war without a plan. He reaffirmed;
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? This is the same as a king deciding to wage war without strategizing.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
He argued that the promise of Free SHS lacked a comprehensive plan from its inception, especially when it was used as a political campaign tool. He argued;
“When Nana Addo promised Free SHS in 2012 and reiterated it in 2016, one would have thought there was deep thinking about how it would be financed. Clearly, this was a policy born out of political ambition rather than a commitment to solving systemic problems.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
Lawyer Danquah detailed the adverse effects of the policy, particularly regarding food quality and double-track systems. He added;
“We’ve had situations over the past eight years where Ghanaian children have been fed with weevil-infested food. This is a fact, not my opinion. Last year, stories emerged of students being fed food deemed unfit for consumption.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
He also pointed out how the double-track system disrupted the educational structure and caused confusion, stating;
“The double-track system and its negative impacts on the structure of education highlight the lack of foresight in implementing Free SHS. It was a promise made without a clear plan.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
Lessons from International Models
Comparing Ghana’s Free SHS to the U.S. educational system, Lawyer Danquah stressed the importance of decentralization and sustainable financing. He reiterated;
“In the U.S., the most capitalist society, public high school education is free. But there’s a clear plan. They have decentralized systems where school districts finance education through property taxes, supplemented by state and federal funding. Boarding schools in the U.S. are private, making the financing easier to manage.”
“In Ghana, we fall short of West Africa’s average in terms of revenue mobilization relative to GDP. Yet, we’ve taken on the enormous task of financing education without a comprehensive plan.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
Call for a Radical Review
Lawyer Danquah called for a comprehensive review of the Free SHS program, suggesting a more sustainable approach to financing. He cited;
”For instance, can we consider a public-private partnership (PPP) model? Perhaps a 70:30 system, where 70% of students pay while 30% receive merit-based scholarships.”
“Most of the country’s prestigious schools are practically funded by their alumni. The government should explore partnerships with such groups to ease the financial burden.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
Lawyer Danquah reiterated that Free SHS was a policy born out of political expediency. He affirmed;
“This policy was not a result of a deep-seated commitment to solve problems but rather a tool to win political support. The next government must sit down, strategize, and craft a plan that ensures sustainability while maintaining the quality of education.”
Appiah-Danquah Esq. Private Legal Practitioner
For Ghana to succeed in providing universal secondary education, he stressed the importance of decentralization, sustainable financing, and stakeholder collaboration.
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