During the presentation of the 2025 Budget Statement and economic policy in Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced that the government is uncapping the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to ensure sustainable funding for free secondary education. This move aims to address long-standing concerns about the quality and financial sustainability of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
Dr Ato Forson emphasised that President John Mahama’s administration had taken decisive action to resolve the funding challenges that have affected the Free SHS programme since its inception. By removing the cap on GETFund, the government has secured a dedicated financial source to fully support secondary education and other critical educational initiatives.
“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 the funding challenge by uncapping the GETFund. This makes available dedicated funds for the full financing of free secondary education and free tertiary education for Persons with Disability (PWDs),” he stated.
“Mr Speaker, this year the budget for the free secondary education programme is GH¢3.5 billion. By uncapping the GETFund, we will be making available an additional GH¢4.1 billion to the GETFund, specifically for the financing of the free secondary education programme and other related expenditures.”
The minister noted that, aside from uncapping the GETFund, the government has also absorbed the debt service, made up of interest and principal, from the Daakye bond GETFund contracted.
The Minister further 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 Disability (PWDs). The government’s commitment to education reform, he noted, aligns with its broader goal of fostering inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all Ghanaians.
By: Ernest K. Arhinful
