Free SHS has benefited 5.7 million BECE graduates and promoted gender parity – Bawumia

Introduced in 2017, Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says about 5.7 million Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates have benefited from the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program with gender parity.

Dr Bawumia addressing a stakeholder engagement in the Ledzokuku constituency in the Greater Accra Region, stated that despite facing initial challenges, the policy has successfully bridged the academic gap between the rich and poor since its inception.

“Over the past eight years, 5.7 million students have benefited from the policy. Total enrollment, which was 800,000 since independence (1957–2016), increased to 1.4 million. This demonstrates that many students who couldn’t attend school due to financial constraints are now able to do so,” he said.

Regarding gender parity, the presidential candidate and flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said “The ratio of boys to girls in SHS has improved from 100 boys to 68 girls in 2016 to 100 boys to 106 girls in 2023.”

Dr Bawumia refuted claims that the free SHS policy has decreased the quality of education in Ghana saying “The pass rate in the core six subjects during the 2016 WASSCE exams was 45%. By 2023, the pass rate in these subjects had increased to 64%, showing a significant improvement in performance.

Additionally, the top three students in WAEC examinations in West Africa are all from Ghana, indicating that our standards have risen. Imagine what might have happened if the free SHS policy had not been introduced,” he said.

Meanwhile, females last year outnumbered the number of male students who participated in the two main national and international examinations — the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

For instance, girls in 2022 were more than boys in the 2022 WASSCE for School Candidates (SC). Out of the total number of 422,883 candidates, 203,753 were males while 219,130, were females.

In the 2023 academic year, out of the 447,204 candidates writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School, 211,834 are males and 235,370 are females.

For last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination, there were 68 more girls than boys sitting for the examination. With a total number of 600,714 for the school candidates, 300,323 were males and 300,391 females.