The excitement of securing a place in senior high school is being overshadowed by growing anxiety among parents. While the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy was designed to eliminate financial barriers to education, many families are now questioning just how “free” the programme truly is.
As the new academic year begins, parents are grappling with lengthy prospectus lists from schools—lists that come with price tags few anticipated. In candid interviews with Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah, several parents shared their frustration. For one mother, the cost of required items for her child’s SHS admission soared to nearly GHS 7,000. Another parent recounted spending GHS 6,000 on similar school supplies. For families with more than one child in secondary school, the expenses quickly multiply, placing immense pressure on household budgets.
The parents described the situation as both surprising and financially exhausting. They pointed out that, although tuition and boarding fees may be waived, the cumulative cost of uniforms, mattresses, utensils, books, and other essentials, plus transportation, makes education unaffordable for many.
The burden, they say, is particularly heavy for low-income families who were counting on the Free SHS policy to give their children a fair chance.
With their voices united, the parents are calling on the government and the Ministry of Education to revisit the requirements. They argue that regulating and simplifying school prospectus lists is essential if the Free SHS programme is to deliver on its promise, ensuring every Ghanaian child has a real opportunity to learn, regardless of their family’s income.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
