F Ngmenkpieo and T Tseer*
In the realm of educational policy, particularly concerning the Free Senior High School program (FSHS) in Ghana, an abundance of empirical studies have explored stakeholder engagement. However, a comprehensive aggregation, synthesis and critical analysis of these empirical findings are notably lacking. This study fills this gap by providing a meticulous aggregation, synthesis and critical analysis of the individual empirical findings on stakeholder engagement within the context of the free senior high school program in Ghana. Using a scoping literature review methodology within the framework of the stakeholder theory, this study meticulously identified primary stakeholders intimately involved in the FSHS program. These stakeholders encompass students, parents, teachers, governmental bodies, food suppliers, school management teams, education workers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and UNESCO. However, a prevalent observation was the inadequate involvement of a majority of these stakeholders during both the policy formulation and program implementation phases. Central to this analysis is the critical role played by trust, underlining how its absence can impede collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders. Furthermore, the political entanglement of the program presents a substantial challenge, diverting attention from educational objectives to political considerations. Resource limitations, suboptimal project implementation capacities, and the state's hesitance in receiving constructive feedback further contribute to restricted stakeholder engagement. These findings resonate with broader international scholarship concerning education stakeholders while shedding light on distinct contextual challenges confronted by the FSHS program. In light of the aforementioned observations, this study recommends trust-building to fortify relationships among stakeholders as well as the depoliticization of education policy to ensure that educational objectives remain paramount.
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