President John Dramani Mahama has requested a policy shift for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to finance all expenditure related to the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education has said.
He said: “Arguably that will affect the traditional core mandate of the GETFUND. However, we need to sustain the FSHS.”
The sector minister said the government was spending close to GH¢5 billion to finance the FSHS programme this year and would average that to GH¢5 billion in 2026.
Mr Iddrisu disclosed this when he addressed the opening session of the 63rd Annual Conference of the Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), underway in Sunyani, saying “with that we have satisfied the political and financial adequacy test of the FSHS programme”.
The conference is on the theme: “Ensuring Comprehensive, Equitable, and Sustainable Secondary Education in Ghana-the Role of stakeholders”.
Mr Iddrisu indicated that the government would allocate GH¢300 million to end the double-truck system in Senior High Schools (SHS) in 2026, explaining that the amount would be utilised to improve infrastructure development.
That will greatly help the nation to bridge the existing gaps and ensure equity in the categories of “A”, “B” and “C’ schools.
He said: “In fact, when you have category A, B, and C schools, you are unable to satisfy the requirement of equity and equitability and so there is no equity.”
Mr Iddrisu questioned: “If about 65 percent of all candidates are requesting for category A schools, then how are you going to cope as a minister”, saying “this year I have received about 60,000 requests for protocols from traditional authorities, political elites, headmasters, PTAs and Directors General.”
“Ghanaians don’t want to hear the word protocol, yet they are requesting and demanding protocols,” he stated.
Nonetheless, he said the government remained committed to providing holistic education encompassing morals, social and inclusive quality education.
Mr Iddrisu indicated that the government was set to perform a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of 16 standard libraries nationwide in the first quarter of 2026.
In that regard, he said the Ministry of Local Government was making budgetary allocation for the projects.
Touching on the conference, Mr Iddrisu said all educational institutions under the CHASS would be moved to post-paid electricity meters from January 2026 to tackle the “continues embarrassment of intermittent power outages in those institutions”.
On behalf of the government, the sector minister later presented GH¢200,000 to support the conference.
Source: GNA
The post GETFUND to finance Free SHS as government spends GH¢5b in 2025 – Minister ? appeared first on Ghana Business News.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS