The Ghana National Council for Private Schools (GNACOPS) has confirmed that the government will tentatively provide GHS 1,500 per semester in tuition support for each student enrolled under the pilot phase of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy in selected private schools.
The initiative, set to roll out in the 2025/2026 academic year, is part of the government’s efforts to expand access to quality secondary education and reduce pressure on public SHSs.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, June 1, GNACOPS Executive Director Enoch Nana Gyetuah stated:
“Government is going to supply us with a tentative amount of GHS 1,500 for tuition, per semester.”
He further noted that private schools interested in participating have already submitted their available spaces to the Ministry of Education to be considered during the placement of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates.
“So the schools (private) have already declared their vacancies for the Free SHS, and that has been sent to the Ministry of Education,” Gyetuah explained.
The placement process will ensure that student enrollment aligns with each school’s infrastructure and academic capacity to prevent overcrowding.
“The placement will be done in a way that the number of students will match the capacity of the private schools,” he added.
Gyetuah also emphasized that private school proprietors are enthusiastic about the policy and consider it a significant opportunity.
“The arrangement is an attractive arrangement for these private SHS. The private school owners are very happy with this initiative and arrangement,” he said.
The pilot program is in line with the Ministry of Education’s broader strategy to phase out the double-track system in public SHSs and fulfill the government’s promise to integrate private schools into the Free SHS framework.
