Dr Matthew Opoku Prempwh – Minister of Education
The government has so far spent GH¢556,998,739 on the free Senior High School (SHS) programme.
A Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of Secondary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who made this known in Parliament yesterday, said as of now the Ministry of Finance has released a total of GH¢584,881,116 for the implementation of the government’s free SHS flagship programme but the total amount spent by the ministry so far is GH¢556.9 million.
The Deputy Minister made this known in reaction to a question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Mion in the Northern Region, Mohammed Abdul-Aziz, who wanted to know how much the government has so far expended on the free SHS programme
He said the free SHS programme started in the 2017/2018, adding that a total of 361,771 students were enrolled onto the programme in the first year with an initial budget of GH¢400 million.
According to the Deputy Minister for Education, the government budgeted for GH¢1.3 billion in the 2018 budget statement for the programme, which will cater for the second term, the third term and the first term of the 2018/2019 academic year, covering the first years and the second years under the programme.
He said in the first term of the first year of the programme, the government spent GH¢400 million for free tuition in addition to certain first year expenses like admission fees, school uniform, textbooks and other things which were being charged the students.
He said for the second and the third terms, the government expended GH¢209 million for each term.
The Mion MP did not understand why the government will budget GH¢1.3 billion in the 2018 budget statement while according to estimations, GH¢1.2 billion was required.
But the explanation that the 2018 budget will cover two batches of students in the first term of the 2018/2019 academic by the Deputy Minister satisfied the MP.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr