The Centre for Policy Scrutiny (CPS) is set to undertake a critical review of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, nine years after its implementation.

The Centre will hold a public lecture on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, under the theme: “Improved Access, Quality Questioned: A Report on 9 Years of Ghana’s Free SHS.”

The review will assess the programme beyond its expansion of access to secondary education.

CPS said it will examine how the rapid increase in enrolment has affected learning outcomes, infrastructure, teaching and learning resources and the overall experience of students.

The Centre will also assess the financial implications of the programme and whether the expansion in enrolment has been matched by the resources needed to sustain quality education.

Head of Corporate Affairs at CPS, Emmanuel Kweku Obeng-Adjei, said the nine-year milestone provides an opportunity for an objective assessment of the policy.

“Free SHS has fundamentally changed access to secondary education in Ghana. But nine years into its implementation, the national conversation must also ask what has happened to the programme's quality, outcomes, and sustainability. This lecture is intended to bring evidence and analysis to those questions,” he said.

According to Mr Obeng-Adjei, the Centre is not seeking to frame the programme as either a success or failure.

“Our interest is not to reduce the discussion to whether Free SHS has succeeded or failed. We want to examine the evidence, understand who has benefited, identify the gaps and contribute ideas that can strengthen secondary education in Ghana,” he added.

The assessment will interrogate claims that although millions of young people have gained access to secondary education, many may not be acquiring the requisite knowledge and skills.

It will also examine whether the gains in access have been accompanied by corresponding improvements in quality.

Other areas of focus will include enrolment levels, learning outcomes, the distribution of benefits and the sustainability of the programme.

The public lecture will feature the Executive Director of the Centre, Dr Adu Owusu Sarkodie, and a lecturer at the Faculty of Liberal and Social Studies Education of the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah.

CPS expects policymakers, educationists, researchers, civil society organisations, parents, students and other stakeholders to participate in the discussion.

Mr Obeng-Adjei said the ultimate goal is to generate ideas that can strengthen the programme.

“The objective is ultimately to ensure that increased access is matched by quality education and meaningful outcomes. Ghanaian children deserve not only the opportunity to attend senior high school, but also an education that equips them for further study, work and responsible citizenship,” he said.

The lecture will be streamed live on the Centre for Policy Scrutiny’s Facebook and YouTube platforms.