2025 Budget: Gov’t sets aside GH¢3.5 billion budget for Free SHS

Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has stated that government has put aside a budget of GH¢3.5 billion for the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme for the year 2025.

At the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Finance Minister stated that the government has uncapped the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to ensure sustainable funding for the Free SHS.

Ato said the allocation of funds and uncapping of the GETFund aims to adequately address funding challenges and improve the quality of the free secondary education programme.

“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),” The Finance Minister 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,” he added.

The Finance Minister in his address in Parliament further, stated that this shift in policy would not only enhance the quality of education but also expand access to tertiary education for marginalized groups, particularly Persons with Disability (PWDs).

Source: Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | Castro Senyalah