- Free SHS Bill to be presented to Cabinet for debate.
- Bill proposes 6 years of secondary education, merging JHS and SHS.
- BECE will no longer be required for SHS admission.
- SHS certification will be the first formal certificate for students.
The Free Senior High School Bill, 2024, is set to be presented to Cabinet for debate this week. The proposed bill aims to provide legal backing for free and compulsory education at the senior high school level.
The Ministry of Education, led by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, is drafting the bill, which also proposes decoupling junior high school from basic school and making it part of secondary school. This change would create six years of secondary education, with the first three years being equivalent to junior high school.
The bill also seeks to cancel the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as a precondition for gaining admission to secondary school. Instead, the BECE would be used for school selection purposes, and certification for completing senior high school would become the first formal certificate for students.
The Education Minister emphasized the need for legislation to make Free SHS mandatory, ensuring that all eligible students can access secondary education. Dr. Adutwum highlighted the success of Free SHS, with over 505,000 students entering first year this year, the largest enrollment in the country’s history.
The minister also stressed the importance of compulsion in improving transition rates, ensuring that talented Ghanaians are not left behind. The bill has received Executive approval and will soon be introduced to Parliament, with the Minority Leader urging the government to present the bill for debate.
