Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has disclosed that the government has allocated approximately GH¢8.4 billion to advance education at the second cycle level through the Free Senior High School (SHS) program.
This substantial investment, spanning seven years, has facilitated access to quality high school education for around 5.7 million Ghanaians.
Additionally, the government has injected GH¢3.6 billion into the School Feeding Programme (SFP), benefiting 3.8 million pupils at the basic level.
Another GH¢248.5 million has been allocated to the Capitation Grants, supporting foundational education for over six million pupils.
Ofori Attah emphasized these significant investments during his presentation of the 2024 fiscal policy and budget statement in parliament, underscoring the government’s commitment to preparing children for a brighter future and addressing the root causes of intergenerational poverty.
“We will continue taking steps to prepare our children for a brighter future and, ultimately, transform society; especially by tackling the root cause of poverty that has afflicted many families from generation to generation.
“Government’s flagship Free Senior High School and TVET programme continues to create and expand access to secondary education in the country. In a generation’s time, when we have a more educated population that sustains social mobility and cohesion, we will appreciate the significance of these decisions and investments,” he said.
Moreover, offering insights into educational initiatives during the reviewed year, the minister highlighted that a comprehensive 448,000 first-year Senior High School (SHS) students were enrolled in the support program. This enrollment elevated the total beneficiaries for the 2022/2023 academic year to 1.3 million students.
Regarding the School Feeding Programme, he stated that the government allocated over GH¢740 million to provide meals for 3.8 million pupils, guaranteeing one hot meal per day in over 10,000 public basic schools.
“In 2024, the implementation of these transformative initiatives will continue,” he indicated.
Capitation Grant
In 2005, the introduction of the Capitation Grant (CG) became a crucial element in the country’s educational system. This move was justified by the argument that financial constraints were a significant barrier preventing Ghanaian children from attending school due to the inability of their parents to pay school levies.
Consequently, the government established a grant, allocating GH¢3 per pupil enrolled per year to every public primary school.
Highlighting the significance of this policy as one of the pivotal educational measures aimed at mitigating the high illiteracy rate at the basic level, the minister underscored that the scheme experienced substantial support during the reviewed year.
This support played a crucial role in alleviating the financial burdens faced by parents and guardians.
Furthermore, he noted that feeding grants were extended to around 7,500 students in special schools, and capitation grants were disbursed to all public basic schools nationwide.
“The registration fees of over 471,000 prospective candidates from public JHS for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were paid to guarantee that all candidates would sit for the examination,” he emphasised.