Free SHS: Delayed uniforms, textbooks forcing families to pay extra – Report

Nine years after the introduction of Ghana's Free Senior High School programme, families are still bearing hidden costs, a new report by the Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) has revealed.

The Centre says delays in supplying school uniforms and textbooks, as well as prospectus requirements, are forcing parents to spend their own money to meet basic needs that should be covered under the policy.

The findings are contained in a report titled _"Improved Access, Quality Questioned: A Report on Nine Years of Ghana's Free SHS,"_ presented by Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah, a lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, on Tuesday, September 1.

According to the study, while Free SHS has significantly expanded access to secondary education, education under the programme is not entirely free for some households.

The report found that when government-supplied uniforms and textbooks delay, parents are compelled to buy them to ensure their wards can participate fully in school activities.

It also flagged the double-track system as a driver of extra costs, noting that reduced contact hours have pushed some parents to pay for private extra classes for their children.

The Centre warned that these additional expenses disproportionately affect low-income families – the very group the policy was meant to protect.

"The 'Free' is not always free. Despite its name, the policy still leaves many families paying," Dr Oppong Nkansah said.

The Free SHS policy was introduced to remove financial barriers by covering tuition, admission fees, textbooks, library and science laboratory access, and WASSCE and internal examination fees in public SHSs. For boarders, it also covers feeding and accommodation, while day students receive meals.

The report, however, argues that implementation gaps mean some parents still pay for essential items, undermining the programme's goal of truly free secondary education.