Free SHS Now Covers Students in 60 Private Schools, Says Government

In a major shift in Ghana’s education policy, the government has announced that 60 private senior high schools will now be included in the Free SHS programme. This marks the first time since the policy’s introduction in 2017 that private institutions have been brought under its coverage.

A statement released by the Ministry of Education on Monday confirmed that the extension of the Free SHS initiative to select private schools is part of efforts to reduce overcrowding in public schools and to broaden access to secondary education across the country.

Until now, the Free SHS policy—one of the flagship programmes of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration—has only applied to public senior high schools. The inclusion of private schools is seen as a strategic move to ease pressure on public infrastructure while ensuring that more students can benefit from free secondary education, regardless of the type of school they attend.

According to the Ministry, this expansion reflects the government’s commitment to equity in education. “The goal is to make quality secondary education accessible to all Ghanaian students, whether they are in public or approved private schools,” the statement said.

Parents and guardians have been urged to verify whether a school is part of the newly approved list. The Ministry noted that the full list of the 60 selected private schools is available through its official platforms, as well as through the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS).

The decision has been welcomed by many in the education sector who view it as a positive step toward inclusive and comprehensive education reform. It also comes at a time when public SHSs are facing increasing student numbers, raising concerns about overcrowding and strain on existing resources.

Details on how the funding for private school beneficiaries will be managed are yet to be fully outlined. However, the Ministry assured that proper monitoring and accountability measures would be applied to ensure the programme’s integrity is maintained across both public and private institutions.