36, 000 candidates out of the 468,053 who sat for the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) failed to obtain grades that will guarantee their enrolment into the various public senior high schools across the country. 

The CSSPS secretariat had explained that the students who represent only 8 percent of the total number of students who took the exam scored Grade 9 in either English or Mathematics.

However, speaking at the launch of the “free SHS” policy at the West African Senior School (WASS) today, President Akuffo Addo noted that his government remain resolute to ensure success of the programme, adding that government has completely absorb the fees of about 430, 000 students who were currently going through various registration processes.

He said it was his government’s desire to ensure that, every Ghanaian child is given an opportunity to attend secondary school to help increase his/her chance of making it in life. 

According to him, the cost of the free SHS is cheaper than the cost of an uneducated population; hence government's commitment to use state resources to fund the programme and ensure its sustainace.

Government, he added is also collaborating with other development partners to ensure that educational other resources such as infrastructure,  free exercise and text books, library and science laboratories  are also provided  to ensure its quality.