Free SHS increasing Ghana’s unemployment challenge – Asantehene

Free SHS is one of the boldest policies of Ghana, Asantehene

Free SHS is putting a huge strain on governments budget, Otumfuo

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has said that although the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy is essential to Ghana’s development, its implementation has created some challenges for the country.

According to Otumfuo, the implementation of the Free SHS policy which has led to an increase in enrolment in secondary schools in Ghana, has put a huge strain on Ghana’s limited resources.

The Asantehene, who made these remarks at a Memphis in May event at the University of Memphis in the US, added that because the Free SHS policy has led to an increase in the number of secondary school graduates, it is worsening the unemployment challenge of the country.

“… the current government has introduced free education up to Senior High School which now ensures that all Ghanaian children from whatever background are guaranteed free education.

“Considering the value to the nation, this must be one of the boldest policies of the nation but it also brings its challenges, it puts a huge strain on the national budget and raises further the challenge about the creation of jobs for the increasing number of graduates,” he said.

Also, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said that because of the value he places on education, he set up a foundation to support needy children through their education when he become king of the Ashanti land.

This foundation, he said, has supported countless people through their education.

“When we ascended the golden stole 23 years ago, we proclaimed education as the ultimate priority of our ruin. In furtherance of our priority, we established a foundation to support the education of children from poor backgrounds, It has been so far one of the largest private interventions in education in the country’s history and has provided tuition to students who otherwise been deprived of basic education, among them persons who have rised to serve as ministers of state and justices of the courts,” he said.

He also called for collaboration between the University of Memphis and universities in Ghana, especially with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Watch the Asantehene comments below: