The free Senior High School (SHS) policy implemented in Ghana has been criticized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which argues that although it has increased enrollment, it lacks effective targeting.
“Ghana spends close to 4 percent of GDP on education with good results in terms of enrolment
but poor learning outcomes. The flagship programme Free Senior High School (SHS), which covers the full cost of secondary education, has helped increase enrolment but is poorly targeted,” IMF said in a country report released ahead of the approval of the country’s $3 billion bailout.
The report added that key identified areas of “potential improvement of education spending include strengthening primary education resources, better teacher training, and stronger performance-based
funding practices.”
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Regarding healthcare, the IMF commented on Ghana’s National Health Insurance policy, noting that despite its intention to achieve universal coverage, it currently only covers half of the population.
The IMF report acknowledged that Ghana has achieved relatively positive health outcomes, but highlighted that disparities in access to healthcare remain a significant concern.
“The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is meant to be universal but only covers half of the population. Identified reform priorities include increasing the NHIS coverage, securing its long-term funding, and expanding its basic care package.”
