We’ve sunk GH¢8.4bn into SHS education for 5.7m students since 2017 – Ofori-Atta

According to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s calculations, the Akufo-Addo administration has invested GH¢8.4 billion in the future of the next generation over the previous seven years, giving about 5.7 million Ghanaians better access to high-quality senior high school education.

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Mr. Ofori-Atta presented the 2024 budget to the parliament. He added that the administration had improved the enrollment and learning results of 3.8 million students by

GH¢3.6 billion would be invested on school feeding programs.

Additionally, he stated that GH¢248.5 million in Capitation Grants had been used by the government to assist the foundational education of nearly 6 million students.

As stated in Article 25 1b of the 1992 Constitution, “Secondary education in its different forms including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education.”

Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) states: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.”

In order to give more Ghanaian students access to high-quality education, the Ministry of Education claims that the government has made it a priority to guarantee that education is free from basic to secondary levels.

The government’s introduction of the Free Senior High School program marked a significant milestone for the Ministry in September 2017.

An 11% rise in enrollment occurred in that year, shattering prior records.

With almost 470,000 pupils enrolled in senior high school, the 2017–18 academic year set a new record for the nation’s greatest enrollment.