Quality issues in free secondary education policy implementation: case study insights from a community in northern Ghana

Following the example of some African countries, Ghana recently implemented a new fee-free secondary education policy called the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme. Guided by McConnell’s (2010) policy success theory, this study examined the success of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy in meeting its quality objectives in northern Ghana, drawing on insights from key stakeholders identified by the Ministry of Education. The study employed a qualitative case study design, and data collection involved school observations and individual interviews with 13 participants purposively selected from a community in northern Ghana. Inductive data analysis revealed that participants generally perceived the policy as falling short of its intended quality goals for secondary education. The implications of these findings for policy reviews at both local and global levels are discussed.