The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has firmly stated that no student enrolled in the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme is currently struggling to access food.
He credits this stability to a decisive government directive for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to absorb GHS 4.2 billion, ensuring the programme’s smooth operation.
Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, February 5, the Minister provided clarity on the funding.
“No student in any Free SHS is struggling to get food to eat because the President directed that GETFund should absorb GHS 4.2 billion,” he stated.
He added that this allocation, though separate from a parliamentary-approved formula, has been specifically earmarked to bolster the Free SHS initiative.
Beyond the immediate concerns of the Free SHS programme, Mr. Iddrisu outlined broader transformations underway in the education sector.
He revealed a significant $300 million support package from the World Bank aimed at upgrading school infrastructure.
This investment will focus on re-categorising schools, specifically converting some Category ‘C’ schools to ‘B’, and Category ‘B’ schools to ‘A’, to improve educational standards.
The Minister announced a strategic shift in the Mahama administration’s educational priorities, with a renewed emphasis on basic education.
He justified this realignment, stating, “Everywhere in the world, if you want to get your education right, you must invest in basic education.”
The President hinted at this in the recent State of the Nation Address, and as such, government policy will now channel greater investment and financial resources into this foundational level.
Turning to the history of the Free SHS policy, launched by the previous administration in 2017, Mr. Iddrisu offered a pointed critique.
He argued that while the programme was introduced, it was not accompanied by the necessary infrastructural development.
“The previous government failed to provide expanded infrastructure and lecture theatres to accommodate the exponential increase in student numbers,” he noted.
Looking ahead, the Minister detailed several key initiatives the current administration plans to implement:
“We want to introduce free education for all persons with special needs, provide them with the necessary assistive devices, and increase the feeding grant from GHS 8 to GHS 15.”
On educational reforms, the minister outlined a new approach to student boarding.
“We must work towards de-boardinisation, and the focus should be on rural and peri-urban areas, while in urban areas we focus on reducing boardinisation,” he explained, signalling a move towards more day schools, particularly in urban centres.
