Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has revealed that 42% of the 2026 Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) budget has been allocated to the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, with a significant portion earmarked for student feeding. He disclosed that about GH¢4.2 billion has been set aside to support feeding under the policy.
Speaking in Parliament, the Minister expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of using a large share of GETFund resources for feeding expenses, noting that it could reduce funding available for critical areas such as school infrastructure, basic education, literacy, and numeracy programmes. He called for a review of the financing structure to ensure GETFund focuses more on foundational learning and educational development.
The disclosure sparked debate in Parliament, with Atiwa East MP Abena Osei-Asare questioning whether allocating such a substantial portion of GETFund resources to feeding aligns with the fund’s core mandate. She argued that the move could affect the completion of educational infrastructure projects across the country.