ABSTRACT
This research was undertaken to examine the prospects and challenges hindering the implementation of “Free Senior High School Policy (FSHSP)” in the Denkyembour District in Ghana. The main rationale for this study comes about as an intervention by the government of Ghana in 2016 to increase enrolment of students in secondary school to ensure “equal access to secondary education” by all students in the country. Denkyembour was selected as the location of the study because it is one of the Districts in Ghana implementing the educational policy. To achieve its objective, the study adopted the qualitative research approach to obtain data from officials and students with practical experience, knowledge and understanding of the policy on FSHS with the use of purposeful sampling technique. The study made use of interviews as primary data collection instruments together with documents and online articles as the secondary data for the study. The study revealed that although the policy has come as a means to ensure increased enrolment in secondary schools. Its implementation is hindered by factors such as inadequate infrastructure, teachers and learning materials. Other factors hindering the implementation of the policy are the delay in the disbursements of funds to schools for development and the lack of adequate teaching facilities. The study recommends that to ensure effective implementation of the FSHS policy, the government needs to collaborate with other stakeholders to provide adequate and timely disbursements of fund, materials as well as adequate teachers to ensure the achievement of the policy goal.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This chapter of the study examines the study background, problem statement, research objectives, and specific research objectives, research question, and significance of the study. The chapter also presents the organization of the entire research work.
Background to the study
The process of education has been termed as a critical process necessary for the individual people for the growth and development of societies, the world all over. Education is regarded as a necessary tool and prerequisite in the quest to reducing and/or eliminating economic hardship and poverty, improving the nutrition of children and the elderly, improving income, empowering the disadvantaged in society and improving the health conditions of people (Hopkins, 2001; Epke, 2012).
In estimating the importance of education, various researchers from different fields of study have come out with varying areas at which the importance of education can be examined. For instance, economist indicates that, education creates the conducive atmosphere for economic advancement (OECD, 1989; Ross et al., 2006) and that society cannot progress steadily without due influence and recognition of the important roles played by education. On the part of human rights activities, educational attainment is regarded as fundamental human right considering the facts that, education creates the congenial atmosphere for the development and advancement of the individual being (Bruns et al, 2003).
Considering the significance of education as mentioned above, it is imperative to state that, education plays much more than a significant role in society’s development as well as the advancement and growth of individual people largely. Following the importance of education to mankind and national economic development agenda, several international organizations and conventions as well as countries have affirmed to this right of mankind and its overwhelming contributions to the national development effort. For instance, the “UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the child, the 1966 International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights of the child amongst other international development organizations have declared education as, indispensable human rights and the role of education in the development process of countries” (Rosensweig, 2002; UNESCO-UIS,2000).
Similarly, countries around the world have witnessed the significant contribution of educated human resource to their national development process and have thus instituted measures to “reduce the rate of out-of-school children with the aim to achieve the human rights aspect of education and to tap into the importance of an educated population for their national development drive.” Sub-Saharan African (ADEA) countries are no exception to this, (ADEA, 2OO7). Specifically, Sub-Saharan African has been witnessing increased enrolment in education from the basic to the second cycle and tertiary levels of schooling due to the numerous policy interventions of government Like the “Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE)” amongst others. ADEA (2012), indicated that Sub-Saharan African has averagely attained 25% enrolment increase partly due to the vast majority of government policies in the Ghanaian education system.
In Ghana, in particular, recognizing the importance of education and being a signatory to most International Declarations on education has instituted several policy interventions to create the congenial atmosphere for families and children who have attained the age of attending school from the basic to the tertiary levels of education. Also, among the list of interventions by government of Ghana are the” Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in 1995, Education Sector Review (ESR, October 2002), Government’s White Paper on the Report (2004)”, Education for All Policy (UNESCO, 2000) and Education Strategic Plan (ESP), the Capitation grant (CP), and Free School Uniform, Exercise Books and Computers distribution programme 2010-2016 at all level across the country’s educational system.
The objectives of such policy interventions were to make education accessible and less costly for children of school going age especially among poor families in the country. The programme introduced at the second cycle level to achieve such a nationwide agenda is the Free Senior High School Programme introduced in September 2017. The Free SHS programme is in line with governments’ aim of achieving free and accessible education for its citizens as enshrinedin the 1992 constitution. The 1992 constitution, chapter six (6) Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 38 (2) posits that the states shall draw up programs for “Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education” and with the needed resources available provide an equal and balanced access to tertiary education.
The free Senior High School (hereafter known as SHS) programme, as an initiative of the New Patriotic Party (hereafter known as NPP) under the government, was introduced in the 2017-18 academic year for all new entrant Senior High Schools nationwide. The aim of the programme is
to guarantee all children who have attained the level of attending Senior High School who have successfully passed their Basic Education Certification Examination (hereafter known as BECE) have cost-free access to senior high education without any financial hindrance.
Problem Statement
As prescribed by the Directive Principles of State Policy, Chapter Six (6) “Article 38:2 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana,” “the states shall with the resources available provide an equal and balanced access to Secondary and other Pre-University Education”. Similarly, other international declarations like “UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 1966 International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” and as contained in the recently introduced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs- 4; quality education) with the target to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong opportunities for all”. Thus far, countries who have agreed to these international declarations must institute programmes and interventions towards the attainment of such a global vision.
Following this, and as part of attaining “equal access and quality secondary education in Ghana,” the government in 2017 introduced the free SHS programme with the aim to exclude financial requirements of any kind in the attainment of “secondary education in Ghana”. The overall aim is to make secondary education free and accessible to all irrespective of one’s financial situation. The introduction of the free SHS in the country, believe will contribute to the vision of the government in making “Secondary Education” the basic form of education in Ghana and that the programme should contribute to the access and equity in all secondary education in government schools duringits implementation. Nevertheless, after one year of the policy implementation,
there are reports that several challenges impedsthe policy implementation and for that matter, its effectiveness sustainability has become the issue of public debate. Based on the reported challenges and success of enrolling more students into the Free SHS programme. This study sort to delve deeper into the subject of the free SHS programme and to examine its prospects and challenges associated with its implementation over the past year.
Objectives of the Study
The overall objective of this research work is to assess the prospects and implementation challenges of the “Free Senior High School Program” in the Denkyembour district of the Eastern region. Specifically, the study is guided by three objectives namely;
- To examine the prospects of the Free SHS program in the Denkyembour district.
- Identify the challenges affecting the smooth implementation of the Free SHS programme in the Denkyembour district.
- Explore how to achieve effectiveness of the implementation of the Free SHS programme in the Denkyembour district.”
Research Questions
The main questions the study seeks to answer is” what are the prospects and challenges of the Free Senior High School programme in Denkyembour District in Ghana”? Specially the study seeks to answer three question
- What are the prospects of the Free SHS program at Denkyembour District?
- What are the implementation challenges confronting the Free SHS program in the Denkyembour District?
- How can the implemented of the FSHS be implemented more efficiently and effectively.
Significance of the Study
This study will help contribute to policy development at the Free SHS Secretariat by providing insight and restructuring into the management and administration of the Programme, which will inure to the benefit of quality education in Ghana by examining the impediments bedevilling the effective implementation of the programme both at the district and national level. The findings will then help to inform Policy Makers on the hindrances of the programme and possible ways of addressing it.The findings of this research will further reveal the achievements chalked concerning enrolment, and attendance as well as poverty reduction on the part of parents whose wards are benefiting from the policy, since the programme implementation, which will further help strengthen the policy implementation.
Limitation of the Study
This study on the successes and challenges of the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy in the Denkyembour district is limited by two majorconstraints. Firstly, the researcher could not obtain the total number of estimated respondents for the study due to the busy schedule of respondents and secondly the researcher was limited by the finance in conducting the study.
Chapter Outline.
Chapter one discusses the study background, problem statement, research goal, objective and research question, theoretical perspective and finally the organization of the study. Again, chapter two embodies the literature review which is organized under; definition of the concept, on the implementation of free Senior High School in Denkyembour District in Ghana. Chapter three discusses the research methodology which entails the research design, research instrument,
target population, study area, sampling and sampling procedures, data collection and data analysis procedure as well as limitations to the study. Chapter four of the study presents data analysis with chapter five discussing the summary, conclusion, and recommendation of the study.
