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Gov’t to spend GHc3.6billion yearly on Free SHS

About 1.6 million eligible students between the ages of 15-17 years across the country are expected to benefit from the policy when it begins in September this year.

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Currently, there are about 432,780 SHS students in the country per the 2015/16 academic year data, and the government spends GHS2, 312 on each student per year.

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The president, Nana Akufo-Addo over the weekend said the free public SHS education was aimed at building an educated populace for speedy national development and progress.

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"By free SHS, we mean that in addition to tuition, which is already free, there will be no admission fees, no library fees, no science centre fees, no computer laboratory fees, no examination fees, no utility fees. There will be free textbooks, free boarding and free meals and day students will get a meal at school for free.

"Free SHS will also cover agricultural, vocational and technical institutions at the high school level," Nana Addo said.

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Many have since kicked against the move, saying it will not be feasible. A retired Ghanaian diplomat, K.B Asante said the implementation will not be sustainable especially with the financial situation of the country.

The Head of Economics at IMANI, Patrick Stephenson has also said the government's implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy will fail due to the current economic conditions.

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Some analysts believe the country should rather focus on accessibility and retention of students in schools due to questions over how the policy can be sustained.

The government has said that it will channel a large percentage of the country’s oil revenue into the education sector.

But many feel that the impact of the country’s oil revenue has often not been felt, especially when the revenue is usually thinly spread on so many projects in other sectors.

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