#SONA2025: Free SHS will not be cancelled but improved — President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy will not be scrapped under his administration but improved to address existing challenges.

Speaking during his State of the Nation Address (#SONA2025) in Parliament on Thursday, February 27, 2025, he dismissed claims that his government intended to abolish the programme.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, will not cancel Free SHS. Instead, we will make it better by fixing the challenges affecting its implementation,” he said.

Mr Mahama described the 5.1 million beneficiaries figure cited by the previous administration as inflated, stating that available data puts the actual number at 3.4 million since the policy began.

To improve the programme, he outlined plans to eliminate the double-track system by expanding school infrastructure and unfreeze the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to finance stalled projects.

The government will also review the quality of meals provided to students under the school feeding programme.

Mr Mahama further announced that Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) would be reinstated in the administration of schools, though they would not be allowed to impose excessive financial demands on parents.