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Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper has proposed restructuring Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) programme to focus exclusively on day students, similar to models in the United States and Europe.
Speaking on TV3 on December 13, Terkper emphasized that boarding schools in developed countries cater primarily to wealthy families or academically gifted students who receive scholarships. He questioned why the Ghanaian government assumes full responsibility for funding the free SHS programme, which has cost GHS 9.9 billion since its launch in 2017 under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Terkper explained that in countries like the US, the government supports free secondary education by providing essential services, such as school buses, while families bear the cost of boarding schools. He noted, “Rich developed countries started the boarding school system, but today, it is mostly the elite who can afford them or talented students on scholarships.”
He argued for a similar approach in Ghana, saying, “Why don’t we follow their examples? What makes us think that we should support free SHS unfettered, where the government bears every cost?”
Terkper also expressed concerns about how an incoming administration, particularly under NDC candidate John Dramani Mahama, would finance programmes like free SHS while fulfilling campaign promises to abolish certain taxes.
Joe Jackson, CEO of Dalex Finance, echoed these concerns during the same discussion. He questioned how the Mahama administration would manage the economy after scrapping taxes such as the e-levy, COVID levy, betting tax, and import duties on vehicles and agricultural equipment.
Jackson highlighted the challenges of balancing revenue and expenditure, warning, “A lot of issues are going to come out, and I have no doubt in my mind that the challenge is going to be huge.”
Both Terkper and Jackson underscored the need for thoughtful planning and decisive leadership to address Ghana’s economic challenges. Jackson concluded, “Somebody has to step up and fix the country.”
