Free SHS has weakened discipline and accountability in Schools – Research

A study by the Centre for Policy Scrutiny has found that Ghana’s Free Senior High School (SHS) policy has contributed to challenges with discipline and accountability in some senior high schools.

The research, which assessed the impact of the Free SHS programme over the past nine years, identified the “no repetition” policy, restrictions on corporal punishment, strict disciplinary procedures and the auto-placement system as factors that may be contributing to student complacency and teacher apathy.

Presenting the findings on Tuesday, September 1, a lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Jacob Oppong Nkansah, said the measures were introduced to expand access to secondary education and protect students but had also resulted in unintended challenges for school authorities.

According to him, the “no repetition” policy has reduced some of the consequences traditionally associated with poor academic performance, potentially weakening students’ motivation to take their studies and conduct seriously.

The study also found that restrictions on corporal punishment and stringent procedures governing disciplinary action have made it more difficult for teachers and school authorities to respond effectively to misconduct.

Dr Nkansah said these limitations had contributed to what the research describes as student complacency and teacher apathy, with some teachers becoming less motivated to enforce discipline when their available disciplinary options are restricted.

The auto-placement system was also identified as another factor affecting student accountability, while the study raised concerns over the misuse of government-provided tablets in senior high schools.

Dr Nkansah said the misuse of the devices was increasingly becoming a source of indiscipline among some students and highlighted the need for stronger supervision.

“The current Free Senior High School policy has also come with issues of discipline and accountability. It came out that the ‘no repetition’ rule, the ‘no corporal punishment’, the strict rules regarding punishment, and even auto-placement has fostered student complacency and teacher apathy, reducing academic seriousness,” he said.

He added that the misuse of tablets was another emerging concern, noting that the practice was “currently fueling indiscipline among senior high school students.”

The findings have renewed calls for a review of aspects of the Free SHS policy to ensure that efforts to expand access to education are matched by effective systems for maintaining discipline, accountability and academic standards.