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The Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has proposed a policy shift for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to finance all expenditure related to the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme. This move aims to sustain the FSHS programme, which currently costs the government around GH₵5 billion annually. The Minister noted that while this might affect the traditional core mandate of GETFUND, sustaining the FSHS programme is crucial.
To further support the education sector, the government has allocated GH₵300 million to end the double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHS) and improve infrastructure development. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between category A, B, and C schools, ensuring equity in education. Mr. Iddrisu emphasized the importance of equity, stating that “when you have category A, B, and C schools, you are unable to satisfy the requirement of equity and equitability.”
The Minister also highlighted the challenges of protocol requests for school admissions, noting that he has received about 60,000 requests from traditional authorities, political elites, headmasters, PTAs, and Directors General. He stressed that “Ghanaians don’t want to hear the word protocol, yet they are requesting and demanding protocols.”
In addition to these initiatives, the government plans to construct 16 standard libraries nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, with the Ministry of Local Government making budgetary allocations for the projects. Furthermore, all educational institutions under the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) will be moved to post-paid electricity meters from January 2026 to address the issue of intermittent power outages.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing holistic education, encompassing morals, social and inclusive quality education. To support the conference, the sector minister presented GH₵200,000 on behalf of the government.
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