Free Education Means More Girls Get to Graduate Here

A recent study found that Ghana’s Free Public Senior High School (FreeSHS) policy, implemented in 2017, positively affected girls’ high school completion rate.

The policy aimed to remove cost barriers that may prevent girls from going through with secondary education. Oftentimes, boys get to complete high school while girls remain at home to do house work when education costs are a barrier. However, as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan says, “to educate girls is to reduce poverty.”

Education is of utmost importance for individual well-being and the economic growth of a country. In recent decades, many African countries have considered this and are attempting to implement necessary programs. Between 2017 and 2021, the government of Ghana has dedicated about $392 million to implement the FreeSHS Policy. A recent study reveals that, following the policy, there has been an increase in the rate of girls completing senior high school by 14 per cent. It further revealed that after the policy was implemented, girls enrolled in secondary education at rates equal to or exceeding those of boys across all regions. When costs cease to be a barrier, girls get access to the same opportunities as their male counterparts.