GH¢3.5 Billion allocation to Free SHS highest ever — Eduwatch

Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch) Kofi Asare, has spotlighted Ghana’s highest-ever GH¢3.5 billion allocation to the Free Senior High School (SHS) program in the 2025 budget.

According to Asare, this represents a significant 30% increase over the 2024 main budget, reinforcing the government’s continued investment in education.

In a Facebook post, Asare also highlighted the government’s increased focus on textbook procurement, with a GHS 564 million allocation—an unprecedented 370% increase from the previous year.

However, he expressed concerns that despite this substantial funding boost, Ghana’s core basic school subject textbook deficit remains at approximately 35%. Some districts, he noted, still lack a single textbook in key subjects, raising questions about the equitable distribution of learning materials.

Asare also pointed to the government’s introduction of the No-Academic-Fee policy for first-year students in public tertiary institutions. With a GH¢499.8 million budget under the ‘No-Fees-Stress’ program, this initiative aims to ease financial burdens on students and families while encouraging increased enrolment in higher education.

During his 2025 budget presentation in Parliament, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson emphasised the government’s commitment to education as a cornerstone of national development.

He stated that removing academic fees for first-year students would provide essential financial relief to thousands of households struggling with the rising cost of tertiary education.

However, while these policies mark progress in Ghana’s education sector, Asare’s observations highlight ongoing concerns.

The historic Free SHS budget and textbook funding increase are significant steps, but the persistent textbook shortage at the basic education level suggests that foundational challenges remain unaddressed. As implementation unfolds, stakeholders will be watching closely to see if these budgetary commitments translate into meaningful improvements in Ghana’s education system.