Dr Clement Apaak is the Deputy Minister of Education
The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak has said that the ministry have commenced processes to enroll private SHS onto the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Dr Apaak stated that the inclusion of private schools in the Free SHS policy will help facilitate the gradual phasing out of the double-track system in various public senior high schools.
The implementation, which is expected to begin in the next academic year, will, according to the minister, boost the capacity of senior high schools across the country.
“Let me state that as part of our campaign promise, we have been working very diligently to bring on board private senior high schools to participate in the delivery of the free senior high school programme.
Meetings have been held, engagements have been done, and we are very certain that with the diligence that we expect from our side and the eagerness of the private schools to participate, the private schools would deliver in their participation,” the deputy minister said.
He added, “We believe very strongly that in fulfilling this manifesto campaign promise, this is going to serve as an artery in helping us bring an end what we all describe as the obnoxious double track,” he said.
Dr Apaak indicated that the expansion of the Free SHS policy to include private SHS forms part of the ruling government’s campaign promises made in the lead up to the 2024 general election.
This comes on the back of an earlier announcement made by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, where he unveiled reforms to the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy in March 2025.
Iddrisu explained that the policy expansion aims to increase access to secondary education.
“We have decided to extend Free SHS to private schools in Ghana. This means that through the computerized placement system, 150,000 students will be assigned to private senior high schools in addition to those in public institutions,” he stated.
Government to roll out Free SHS in private schools – Deputy Minister pic.twitter.com/qDmQ5FpMWn
— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) May 27, 2025
MAG/MA
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