Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has opened up about the successes and shortcomings of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, a flagship initiative he helped implement during his tenure as Deputy Minister for Education.
Reflecting on the groundbreaking education programme on Joy Prime monitored by MyNewsGh, he said, “We did our best with Free SHS. We’re proud of what we achieved. The policy gave equal access to education regardless of financial background, and that was historic.”
However, he acknowledged that the implementation wasn’t flawless. “In hindsight, one area we could’ve improved was ensuring prompt remittances to schools. Delays in disbursing funds created some operational challenges, and we take responsibility for that.”
Rev. Fordjour also touched on the controversial feeding component of the policy. He noted that although the opposition initially promised to decentralize food procurement to allow headmasters more control, they later reverted to a centralized system.
“There were bottlenecks with food supply, and that created some friction in school administration.”
Despite the criticisms, he stood firm on the policy’s long-term benefits. “Enrollment figures rose sharply. Many students who would have dropped out due to lack of funds stayed in school. That’s the kind of impact that speaks louder than political debate.”
While proud of the results, Rev. Fordjour emphasized the need for continuous review and improvement. “Every major policy has teething problems. The important thing is learning from them and doing better.”
