The Overlord of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has hailed President Akufo-Addo’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy as the most ambitious social intervention of the Fourth Republic.
The Asantehene made these remarks during a special ceremony at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), where he was awarded an honorary doctorate for his contributions to national development and peace.
Speaking at the event, Otumfuo praised the government for implementing a policy that, in his words, was “beyond the capacity of the state” during the post-independence era.
“There is no doubt that the Free SHS policy is the most audacious social intervention in our Fourth Republic,” he said, adding that previous reforms had not ventured into making secondary education accessible to all.
“The decision to take the plan has been ambitious, and it is no wonder it has kept education at the top of national discourse.”
Introduced in 2017, the Free SHS policy aims to remove financial barriers to education for all Ghanaian students. Since its launch, more than 1.6 million students have benefitted from the programme.
Despite its impact, calls have been made for a review of the policy to address concerns over quality, infrastructure, and its strain on the national budget.
As economic pressures mount, discussions continue on how to refine the policy while maintaining its core objectives.