Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that the government has allocated GH¢3.5 billion for the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme in 2025.
Presenting the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, Dr. Forson also revealed that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has been uncapped to ensure sustainable funding for free secondary education.
According to the Finance Minister, this move, initiated by President John Mahama, aims to address funding challenges and improve the quality of the Free SHS programme, which has faced concerns since its introduction. By removing the cap on GETFund, the government has secured additional resources to finance Free SHS and other critical educational expenditures.
“Mr. Speaker, the overarching concern about free secondary education has been its quality and the absence of a dedicated source of funding. H.E. President John Mahama has resolved this challenge by uncapping the GETFund. This ensures dedicated funds for fully financing Free SHS and free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs),” Dr. Forson stated.
He further explained that uncapping the GETFund will provide an additional GH¢4.1 billion, which will be allocated specifically for Free SHS and other educational needs.
Additionally, Dr. Forson announced that the government has taken over the debt service obligationscomprising both interest and principal of the Daakye Bond, which was previously contracted under GETFund.
The Minister assured Parliament that this policy shift would not only enhance the quality of education but also expand access to tertiary education for marginalised groups, particularly Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
He concluded by saying “The Rt. Hon Speaker, we have also allocated an amount of 564.6 million Ghana cedis for the provision of curriculum-based textbooks covering the following one four sets of KG books and workbooks for about 2.8 million learners. In this figure, we have also provided for four sets of primary textbooks for about 800000 learners. We have also provided four sets of nine SHS textbooks for about 540000 learners. Rt. Hon. Speaker, under the School Feeding Program, budgetary provision has been increased from the GHS 1.3 billion Ghana cedis last year to GHS 1.78 billion”
