Free Senior High School and Mathematics Achievement in Ghana: Evidence from a Public Senior High Technical School

Edward Agunya Asoo

© 2026 Edward Agunya Asoo, published by UIKTEN. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International. (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Citation Information: SAR Journal. Volume 9, Issue 1, Pages 59-66, ISSN 2619-9955, https://doi.org/10.18421/SAR91-07, March 2026.

Received: 05 September 2025.
Revised: 10 February 2026.
Accepted: 21 February 2026.
Published: 27 March 2026.

Abstract:

This study evaluated the impact of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy on mathematics proficiency in a public Senior High Technical School in the Kassena-Nankana West District. Using an ex post facto design with archival records, it compared West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) mathematics performance between Pre-Free SHS (2018–2019) and Free SHS (2020–2022) cohorts. The results show that Free SHS cohorts achieved significantly higher mathematics scores, with a mean increase of 7.03 points and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.00). Consistent with Human Capital Theory, these findings suggest that expanded access and resources in secondary technical education correlate with improved mathematics achievement. The study recommends prioritizing teacher professional development in mathematics, expanding infrastructure to manage increased enrollment, and strengthening alignment between mathematics curricula and technical-vocational programs.

Keywords – Free SHS policy, senior high technical school, mathematics achievement, human capital theory, education production function theory.
                   

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