Public perception of Ghana's Free Senior High School policy: A north–south comparative analysis

Abstract Ghana's Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, implemented in 2017, aims to increase access to secondary education, promote equity, enhance educational outcomes, and foster human capital development. This study examines public perception of the Free SHS policy, focusing on the variations between the northern and southern regions of Ghana and the factors influencing these perceptions. Employing a tripartite research objective, this study addresses gaps in the current literature by using a nationally representative sample, comparing the views of Ghanaians in the northern and southern regions, and augmenting existing knowledge about public attitudes toward educational policy. This study draws upon relative deprivation and cultural cognitive theories to understand how public attitudes are shaped by subjective interpretations of circumstances and cultural worldviews. The predictors of public attitudes toward educational policy, such as partisanship, gender, age, education, employment, ethnicity, religion, and access to news, were explored. The findings reveal that partisanship does not influence public opinion about the effectiveness of the policy in helping poor access to education. However, negative policy outcomes, such as increased unemployment and inadequate resource provision, influence public opinion. The study also finds that occupation and region play a role in shaping public opinion about policy. The findings have significant theoretical and policy implications for Ghana, potentially informing efforts to improve access to and the quality of education, citizens' well‐being and overall development.