Free SHS inclusion greatest opportunity we’ve been given – Private schools

Private second-cycle institutions across Ghana are celebrating what they describe as a major victory following their inclusion in the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

After years of lobbying, the decision is being hailed as a transformative moment for the private education sector.

Reacting to the announcement, Richard Kyei Naphtali, Public Relations Officer for the Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools (CHOPSS), described the development as a long-overdue breakthrough that opens up unprecedented opportunities for private schools.

“Excitement is an understatement. We are more than elated. We think that it’s a welcoming news. It is a long-awaited news. It is something we’ve always wanted to have, and I think it is the greatest opportunity we’ve been given. It is good,” Naphtali stated on the Channel One Newsroom on Saturday, June 14.

The inclusion of private schools in the Free SHS policy was officially confirmed by the Ministry of Education on Monday, May 27, during the launch of updated guidelines for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school selection. Under the new system, candidates can now choose up to seven schools instead of the previous six, with private senior high schools now part of the eligible list for government-funded placement.

This historic move comes at a critical time for many private institutions that have faced declining enrolment in recent years due to the implementation of Free SHS in public schools. By extending the policy to private SHSs, government aims to bridge that gap, ease congestion in public schools, and promote equity across the education sector.

CHOPSS believes this decision will not only stimulate growth in private school enrolment but also foster a stronger partnership between public and private actors in delivering quality secondary education.

The school selection window opened on May 27 and will remain open until June 6, giving BECE candidates the opportunity to take advantage of the expanded list of participating schools.

For private institutions that have long felt sidelined by national education policy, the move represents a new era—one where their contributions to the country’s educational development are formally acknowledged and supported.