Perspectives of educational stakeholders on the implementation of Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy in the Wa Municipality of Upper West Region, Ghana
Keywords:
Free Senior Secondary School, Policy Implementation, Programmatic goals, Wa Municipality, GhanaAbstract
The McConnells’ theory of policy success or failure provides a framework to investigate educational stakeholders’ perspectives on the responsiveness of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) program relative to its stated programmatic objectives. The perspectives of twenty (20) purposively selected heads of public senior high schools, officers of the Ghana Education Service, and leaders of teacher unions in the Wa Municipality were explored. To collect data, a qualitative case study design was employed, utilising in-depth interviews. The data was subsequently analysed using interpretive content and thematic analysis. The study revealed that the programme eliminated financial barriers and increased enrolment, but it neglected equity and efficiency. The policy’s implementation lacked stakeholder engagement and focused on access rather than quality education.
Downloads
References
Adan, M. A., & Orodho, J. A. (2015). Constraints of Implementing Free Secondary Education in Mandera West Sub-County, Mandera County, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(9), 102-111.
Adu-Ababio, K., & Osei, R. D. (2018). Effects of an education reform on household poverty and inequality: A microsimulation analysis on the free Senior High School policy in Ghana (No. 2018/147). WIDER Working Paper.
Adu-Gyamfi, S., Donkoh, W. J., & Addo, A. A. (2016). Educational reforms in Ghana: Past and present. Journal of Education and Human Development, 5(3), 158-172.
Agomor, K. S. (2023). An Analysis of Public Participation in Policymaking Processes. In Public Policy in Ghana: Conceptual and Practical Insights (pp. 283-304). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Akyeampong, K. (2005). Cost and finance of secondary education in Ghana: A situational analysis. Commissioned report for the Financing of Secondary Education in Africa research project (FINSEC) based at the Centre for International Education, University of Sussex, for the Secondary Education Initiative in Africa programme of the World Bank.
Ampratwum, E., & Armah-Attoh, D. (2010). Tracking capitation grant in public primary schools in Ghana. Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Briefing Paper, 10(1), 1-8.
Anderson, S., & Heywood, P. M. (2009). The politics of perception: Use and abuse of Transparency International’s approach to measuring corruption. Political Studies, 57(4), 746–767.
Ankomah, Y., Koomson, J., Bosu, R., & Oduro, G. K. (2005). Implementing quality education in low-income countries. University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ghana Journal of Development Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes .
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
