Dr Charles Aheto-Tsegah, a former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has raised significant concerns about the administration of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, attributing its ongoing challenges to poor school management practices.

While recognising the policy’s achievement in broadening access to secondary education since its introduction by the Akufo-Addo administration, Dr Aheto-Tsegah highlighted operational inefficiencies that hinder its overall success.

He further commended President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to reviewing the policy to address its shortcomings.

Speaking during an interview with Channel One TV on Tuesday, 21 January, Dr Aheto-Tsegah pointed out that centralised management structures have stripped headmasters of key decision-making powers, weakening their authority and effectiveness.

He argued that school administrators, tasked with ensuring the smooth running of their institutions, have been rendered powerless over critical matters such as feeding arrangements, teaching staff oversight, and the replacement of essential learning materials.

“The management of secondary schools has been undermined,” Dr Aheto-Tsegah explained. “When headmasters are not allowed to determine what meals are served, address material shortages like torn books, or make decisions about teaching staff, it severely hampers their ability to manage their schools effectively.”

He urged policymakers to review the implementation framework of the Free SHS initiative, advocating for the restoration of decision-making authority to school leaders.

Dr Aheto-Tsegah emphasised that empowering headmasters is vital to resolving the inefficiencies that threaten the sustainability of the policy.

“This level of centralisation takes away a significant portion of their administrative role. The inability to manage basic operational tasks compromises the schools’ functionality and, ultimately, the success of the Free SHS programme,” he concluded.