Abstract:

The need for education as a veritable tool for national development cannot be over-emphasized. However, the bane for educational development, both at the national and institutional level, is poor policy implementation. Using evidence and insight from published data, this paper examined Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy and its attendant double track system. The documentary analysis research design is justified based on the assumption that understanding can also emerge most meaningfully from inductive analysis of already existing data. Accordingly, the researchers relied specifically on enrolment trends of Secondary Education from 2013 to 2018, and the structure of the Double Track System. The researchers found that resource constraints and the mode of selecting students to the tracks were the main challenges of both the double track and Free SHS system. The researchers conclude that in policy context, given free education for equal access in Ghana is a tedious task and there is limited evidence of its sustainability. We therefore recommend an increase in the Value Added Tax, exclusive to fund the Free SHS policy as a more reliable and sustainable funding source to provide infrastructure, materials and bust the remunerate teachers. Alternatively, the government should leverage the facilities and capacities of private schools by issuing coupons to all eligible children and allow parents the options in the placement of their wards senior high schools.

Keywords:

Policy, Double Track, Free Senior High.