Government has allocated GH¢3.5 billion for the Free SHS program
The government has allocated GH¢3.5 billion for the Free Senior High School (SHS) program as part of efforts to ensure its sustainability.
Presenting the 2025 Budget and Economic Policy in Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, stated that President John Dramani Mahama has taken steps to address the program’s funding challenges.
“The overarching concern about free secondary education has been its quality and the absence of a dedicated source of funding. President John Mahama has resolved the funding challenge by uncapping the GETFund. This measure provides dedicated funds for the full financing of free secondary education and free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
“This year, the budget for the Free SHS program is GH¢3.5 billion. By uncapping the GETFund, we will make an additional GH¢4.1 billion available to the fund, specifically for financing the Free Senior High School program,” he stated.
The Free SHS program was introduced in 2017 by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to improve access to senior high school education.
JKB/AE
Meanwhile, watch as the Minister of Finance presents the 2025 Budget statement