Education Minister pledges sustained funding for Free SHS policy

The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has pledged the government’s commitment to ensure continuous budgetary allocation for the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy to safeguard its long-term sustainability.

The Minister made the pledge during a stakeholders’ forum in Sunyani, where education experts, policymakers, and school administrators gathered to discuss challenges in delivering quality secondary education.

Minister Iddrisu emphasized that consistent financial backing from the national budget is essential to maintaining the gains of the government’s flagship education initiative.

“The Free SHS policy has transformed access to education, but its future depends on sustained funding. We must ensure that budgetary allocations are prioritized to keep this programme running effectively,” he stated.

He further called for stronger collaboration among schools, management, and parents to address moral decadence and improve academic performance. “Discipline and responsibility must be a shared commitment. All stakeholders must actively contribute to molding well-rounded students,” he added.

The Acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, expressed concern over increasing cases of violence and indiscipline in schools. He reaffirmed the GES’s commitment to the government’s “Review, Reflect, and Reset” agenda while calling for urgent measures to restore discipline.

“We cannot overlook the rising incidents of misconduct in our schools. It is time for decisive action to protect the sanctity of our educational institutions,” Prof. Davis said.

Paul Adjei, Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), proposed strategic collaborations with private enterprises, development partners, and philanthropic organizations to secure additional funding for second-cycle institutions.

“Public education requires collective effort. By partnering with the private sector and other stakeholders, we can mobilize the necessary resources to sustain and improve quality education nationwide,” Adjei noted.

The forum served as a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on actionable solutions to enhance secondary education delivery in Ghana.

By Claude Kumi Abisa

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