ABSTRACT
This research was undertaken to examine the prospects and challenges hindering the implementation of “Free Senior High School Policy (FSHSP)” in the Denkyembour District in Ghana. The main rationale for this study comes about as an intervention by the government of Ghana in 2016 to increase enrolment of students in secondary school to ensure “equal access to secondary education” by all students in the country. Denkyembour was selected as the location of the study because it is one of the Districts in Ghana implementing the educational policy. To achieve its objective, the study adopted the qualitative research approach to obtain data from officials and students with practical experience, knowledge and understanding of the policy on FSHS with the use of purposeful sampling technique. The study made use of interviews as primary data collection instruments together with documents and online articles as the secondary data for the study. The study revealed that although the policy has come as a means to ensure increased enrolment in secondary schools. Its implementation is hindered by factors such as inadequate infrastructure, teachers and learning materials. Other factors hindering the implementation of the policy are the delay in the disbursements of funds to schools for development and the lack of adequate teaching facilities. The study recommends that to ensure effective implementation of the FSHS policy, the government needs to collaborate with other stakeholders to provide adequate and timely disbursements of fund, materials as well as adequate teachers to ensure the achievement of the policy goal.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This chapter of the study examines the study background, problem statement, research objectives, and specific research objectives, research question, and significance of the study. The chapter also presents the organization of the entire research work.
Background to the study
The process of education has been termed as a critical process necessary for the individual people for the growth and development of societies, the world all over. Education is regarded as a necessary tool and prerequisite in the quest to reducing and/or eliminating economic hardship and poverty, improving the nutrition of children and the elderly, improving income, empowering the disadvantaged in society and improving the health conditions of people (Hopkins, 2001; Epke, 2012).
In estimating the importance of education, various researchers from different fields of study have come out with varying areas at which the importance of education can be examined. For instance, economist indicates that, education creates the conducive atmosphere for economic advancement (OECD, 1989; Ross et al., 2006) and that society cannot progress steadily without due influence and recognition of the important roles played by education. On the part of human rights activities, educational attainment is regarded as fundamental human right considering the facts that, education creates the congenial atmosphere for the development and advancement of the individual being (Bruns et al, 2003).
Considering the significance of education as mentioned above, it is imperative to state that, education plays much more than a significant role in society’s development as well as the advancement and growth of individual people largely. Following the importance of education to mankind and national economic development agenda, several international organizations and conventions as well as countries have affirmed to this right of mankind and its overwhelming contributions to the national development effort. For instance, the “UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the child, the 1966 International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights of the child amongst other international development organizations have declared education as, indispensable human rights and the role of education in the development process of countries” (Rosensweig, 2002; UNESCO-UIS,2000).
Similarly, countries around the world have witnessed the significant contribution of educated human resource to their national development process and have thus instituted measures to “reduce the rate of out-of-school children with the aim to achieve the human rights aspect of education and to tap into the importance of an educated population for their national development drive.” Sub-Saharan African (ADEA) countries are no exception to this, (ADEA, 2OO7). Specifically, Sub-Saharan African has been witnessing increased enrolment in education from the basic to the second cycle and tertiary levels of schooling due to the numerous policy interventions of government Like the “Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE)” amongst others. ADEA (2012), indicated that Sub-Saharan African has averagely attained 25% enrolment increase partly due to the vast majority of government policies in the Ghanaian education system.
