The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has voiced strong opposition to the government’s recent announcement to include private senior high schools in the Free SHS Programme.
The government says the move is intended to expand access to secondary education and reduce overcrowding in public schools, but GNAT believes it could strain already limited educational resources.
On May 27, 2025, Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, announced the policy change while unveiling updated school selection guidelines for candidates preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
According to Dr. Apaak, incorporating private SHSs is part of a broader strategy to phase out the double-track system and increase overall enrollment capacity:
“As part of our campaign promise, we’ve worked diligently to bring private senior high schools on board. Meetings and engagements have been held, and we are confident that with the commitment from both sides, private schools will deliver,”
— Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Minister for Education
However, GNAT General Secretary Thomas Musah expressed serious concerns about the move. He warned that expanding Free SHS to private schools could divert limited resources from public institutions, further hampering quality education delivery:
“We don’t want the situation where tomorrow the government will come and tell us there are no resources to teach in public schools. We’re already advocating for parents who can afford to contribute something to do so,”
— Thomas Musah, GNAT General Secretary
He added that many unresolved funding and resource issues in public schools need urgent attention before expanding the programme to private institutions.
GNAT argues that the priority should be on improving conditions in public schools rather than extending support to private entities. The association maintains that unless sufficient funding is secured, such a move could compromise the quality of education for all students.