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Eduwatch questions essence of new bill, says Free SHS already has legal backing
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Education think-tank Africa Education Watch has raised questions about the rationale behind the government’s decision to introduce the Free Senior High School bill to give legal backing to the policy.
This follows a disclosure at a press briefing ahead of Parliament’s resumption from break on Tuesday addressed by Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on June 11, 2024.
He revealed that a finalised bill is ready for presentation by the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum. According to him, the move is to prevent any government from attempting to abort the policy.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare said the policy already has legal backing and does not require another law.
According to him, he rather expects the government to focus on improving the policy by addressing the various challenges plaguing it.
He said, “I am a bit lost because in December 2020 Parliament passed a law called the Pre-Tertiary Education Law which is Act 10(49). This law which was assented on 29th December 2020 has free SHS captured under section 3 which says that ‘Secondary education in its different forms including TVET shall be free and accessible to all eligible candidates. So this provision in the pre-tertiary education law is to give legal effect, is to give binding effect.”
“…I think that perhaps the only reason is, it is a legacy reason. It looks more political legacy kind of style. But in reality, if you ask me the top 10 challenges or problems that require urgent attention on the Free SHS policy, the law would not be in the [space] of 10,” he stated.
Also, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has already criticised the move.
Nortsu-Kotoe questioned the need for a law to regulate or entrench the Free SHS programme, highlighting the lack of an official policy document on free SHS despite requests made to the previous and current education ministers over the past seven to eight years.
The bill, soon to be presented to Parliament, seeks to regulate and sustain the policy beyond the current government.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted the recommendation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment as part of the constitutional review process.
He said the proposed amendment would affect Articles 3, 13, 19 and 72 of the 1992 Constitution, with offences that previously attracted the death penalty instead carrying life imprisonment.
Dr. Ayine made the announcement on July 30, 2026, at the Jubilee House in Accra during the Government Accountability Series while outlining the government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
According to him, the government believes the death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and Ghana’s international human rights obligations.
He explained that the recommendation forms part of broader proposals aimed at strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights under the Constitution.
Dr. Ayine said the government had also accepted the spirit of several recommendations to expand rights relating to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the youth.
He added that a comprehensive Human Rights Act would be introduced to protect these rights and provide detailed enforcement mechanisms instead of amending the entrenched provisions of the Constitution through a national referendum.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on both local and international investors to tap into opportunities in Ghana’s tourism, hospitality and creative industries.
Speaking in an interview yesterday with World Media USA Today, the Minister said government is committed to creating a conducive investment environment to support growth in the sector.
She highlighted key investment areas including hotels, fashion, music, film production, and tourism infrastructure.
Dzifa Gomashie also encouraged Ghanaians to invest in domestic tourism to help boost the local economy.
According to her, strategic investment in tourism and the creative economy will drive economic transformation, create jobs, and position Ghana as Africa’s gateway for heritage, culture, business and investment.
“Ghana has vast opportunities across tourism, hospitality and the creative industries. We are ready and open for business,” she stated.
The Minister’s remarks come as government intensifies efforts to leverage culture and tourism as drivers of economic growth and job creation.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
