The SHS 1 Prospectus Expenses Exceed the Free SHS Budget

A recent report from the education think tank said that the central government spent GHS1,147 per second cycle school student for boarding Senior High School and GHS1,107 for day students.

The report was presented by Divine Kpe, Senior Programs Officer of EduWatch said parents spent GHS 2,477 on prospectus for their wards in boarding schools and an additional GHS 4,000 on other personal items, including 60% on provisions.

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During a conference on education financing, he added that parents spent 10% on transportation, 10% on books, 10% on upkeep and 10% on personal effects like toiletries, and sanitary pads during the 2023/24 academic year.

The cost of the central government was figured out using Free SHS budget allocations and expenditures from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and Parliament for the academic years 2022/2023, this exceeds the normal SHS prospectus expenses.

The cost to parents was analysed using historical prices of prospectus items from the Ghana Statistical Service to cost prospectuses obtained from schools.

According to Africa Education Watch’s report, the prices of prospectuses increased by 38 per cent, starting from an initial percentage of 36 during the initial implementation stage of the Free SHS policy.

Mr. Kpe stated that parents of continuing-day students reported spending an average of GH¢4,400 annually on their children’s education, including transportation (40 per cent), breakfast (50 per cent), and books (10 per cent).

The education-focused think tank in its report also revealed that parents of day students spent GHC 5,507 inclusive of prospectus costs, outweighing the government’s spending of GHS 1,107 under the Free SHS program.

The report disclosed that financial constraints contributed to a 15 per cent failure of candidates to honour their admission in the 2022/23 academic year. It attributed the failure to honour admission to the high cost of prospectuses and other education materials.

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To minimize the cost burden of prospectuses, the report recommended that, in the medium to long term, the Ministry of Education must develop and implement a strategy to focus on children from the poorest households using data from the LEAP program.

The report explained that the approach would enable the government to spend more to cover the full cost of secondary education for students from low-income households.

The Africa Education Watch (EduWatch) report said that the Ministry of Finance should improve the way funds are spent under the policy.