Government partners with private schools to expand free SHS access

The government has announced a formal partnership with private schools to expand access to free Senior High School (SHS) education under a new Memorandum of
Understanding signed on Thursday.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the agreement between the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), and the Conference of Heads of Private Schools (CHOPS) forms part of efforts to end the double-track system and increase placement opportunities for students.

“The government is happy to partner you to resolve the problem of placement and double track, which undoubtedly is affecting the delivery of quality education,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.

He explained that under the arrangement, about 25,000 students have already been placed in private senior high schools out of 44,000 available vacancies declared by 70 participating schools.

“Otherwise, that 25,000 would have been without schools, and that could define a terminal end to the career of many young people,” he said.

The Minister added that the collaboration aligns with the constitutional guarantee of equal educational opportunities for all Ghanaians.

“Every Ghanaian is entitled to the full benefits of their rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, subject to the state’s ability to provide it,” he emphasized.

As part of the initiative, the government will provide a stipend of at least GH₵250 per student to support those transitioning into private schools.

“That’s negotiable. We’ll still discuss as and when we can help you to up it. But for a start, that’s the commitment we make,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu assured GNACOPS and CHOPS that the Ministry remains “deeply committed” to the terms of the agreement and would ensure the initiative is captured in the 2026 budget.

“This memorandum of understanding represents our collective desire and partnership to expand access to free SHS education,” he noted, commending private school stakeholders for their readiness to complement government’s efforts.

This is the government’s latest effort to include the private sector in the delivery of quality and equitable educational opportunities to students across the length and breadth of the country.

The government has also pledged to make provisions for students in private universities and colleges under the No Fees Stress policy, a social intervention policy aimed at absorbing the academic fees of first year students in the universities and colleges of education.