No Rich, No Poor; Free SHS Is For Everyone – Akufo-Addo Insists

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he will not consider segregation in his government’s flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

Despite his willingness to engage in a discussion on the way forward in relation to the Free SHS policy, he intimated that the ideal way is to maintain a system accessible to every Ghanaian child.

“Those who feel they can pay for their ward’s school fees can consider private schools, that is where you can do fee-paying. But regarding public sector schools, we want to open up to accommodate everybody, whether you can pay or not. It will be problematic if we segregate or discriminate with regards to the Free SHS,” he said in an interview on a local radio station in Kasoa as part of his two-day tour of the Central Region.

Meanwhile, he suggested that the conversation must centre on funding, availability of money, access and other ingredients that must work for the good of the Ghanaian.

“One of the things people have been calling for is the review of Free SHS, I think we should have a broader conversation about the incidence of education on our national development,” President Akufo-Addo said.