President-elect John Dramani Mahama has pledged to secure dedicated funding to sustain and address the challenges facing Ghana's Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.

He strongly rejected claims during the election campaign that his administration would abolish the initiative, describing such accusations as baseless political propaganda from supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In an interview with Voice of America (VOA) on December 14, Mahama stated, “Free SHS has come to stay, and it is not going anywhere. Nobody is going to scrap Free SHS. What was said was political talk and gimmickry. We are going to maintain it. What we are going to do is get dedicated funding for it.”

Introduced in 2017 under the Akufo-Addo administration, the Free SHS policy provides free education, boarding, and meals to students in public senior high schools.

The policy has opened doors for many Ghanaian youths, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, to access secondary education.

However, it has faced challenges, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities, and delays in funding, which have hindered its full effectiveness.

Mahama has committed to addressing these issues by securing reliable funding to improve the policy’s implementation and ensure a higher quality of education for students.

His stance on maintaining the Free SHS program resonated with many Ghanaians, and his decisive victory in the December 7 elections confirmed public support for his plans. The Electoral Commission (EC) announced Mahama as the winner with 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55% of the total valid votes cast.

He defeated his closest contender, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP, who secured 4,657,304 votes, or 41.61%.