A comprehensive study conducted by Africa Education Watch, a civil society organization focused on education, has brought to light that parental expenses related to prospectuses and other items significantly surpass the costs incurred by the government under the Free Senior High School (SHS) program.

The research reveals that the government's average spending per student stands at GHS 1,147 for boarding schools and GHS 1,107 for day students.

In contrast, parents bear a financial burden, shelling out GHS 2,477 for prospectuses and an additional GHS 4,000 for personal items, including perfume, detergents, and sanitary pads, during the academic year 2021–2022.

Mr. Divine Kpe, Senior Programs Officer at Africa Education Watch, presented these findings during an insightful conference on education financing held in Accra. The report, titled "The Financial Burden of the Free SHS Policy and Implications for Equitable Access to Education," emphasizes the need for strategic interventions to address the financial constraints faced by parents.

The study further highlights a 15 percent failure of candidates to honor their admission in the 2022–2023 academic year, attributing it to the high costs associated with prospectuses and other educational materials.

To alleviate the financial burden on parents, the report recommends that the Ministry of Education develops and implements a strategy to focus on children from the poorest households, utilizing data from the LEAP program.

This approach aims to enable the government to allocate more resources to cover the full cost of secondary education for students from low-income households.

Additionally, the report suggests improvements in the disbursement of funds under the policy by the Ministry of Finance, aligning with the policy's objectives, implementation arrangements, and cash flow projections.