Ghana Minute.
Monday, 15 June 2026
Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 15 June 2026
Accra—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Ghanaian press · Event

Free Senior High School

2026-05-052026-06-15
Share on WhatsApp

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. June 2026

  2. Joy Online

    The government has assured suppliers under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme that the payment of outstanding arrears will begin next week following concerns over delayed settlements. …

    Government to begin paying Free SHS suppliers’ arrears next week

  3. Joy Online

    Members of the National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) have staged a picket at the Ministry of Education in Accra over the government’s failure to settle more than two years of outstanding arrears for goods supplied under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) prog …

    “If funds exist for World Cup tickets, why are we unpaid?” — Suppliers picket over Free SHS debt

  4. Joy Online

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has assured members of the National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) that the government will move to resolve outstanding payments owed under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme within one week. …

    Education Minister promises one-week timeline to clear GH¢50m Free SHS supplier arrears

  5. Joy Online

    The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) has announced that it will proceed with its planned picket at the Ministry of Education despite fresh assurances from government officials over outstanding payments owed to its members under the Free Senior High School (F …

    Suppliers to picket Education Ministry over GH¢50m Free SHS debt

  6. Joy Online

    … According to the minister, changes in the financing of the Free Senior High School feeding programme have improved food distribution across the country. …

    Education Minister raises alarm over indiscipline in SHSs, announces national reform conference

  7. Joy Online

    … According to the minister, changes in the financing of the Free Senior High School feeding programme have improved food distribution across the country. …

    Education Minister raises alarm over indiscipline in SHSs, announces national reform conference

  8. Joy Online

    … According to him, the feeding component of the Free Senior High School programme is now being more effectively managed through sustained GETFund support. …

    Free SHS: Education Minister hails end of school food shortages

  9. Joy Online

    … According to him, the feeding component of the Free Senior High School programme is now being more effectively managed through sustained GETFund support. …

    Free SHS: Education Minister hails end of school food shortages

  10. Joy Online

    … According to the Education Minister, reforms in the financing and procurement of food under the Free Senior High School programme have improved the availability of supplies. …

    World Bank set to approve US$300m for expansion of Ghana’s school infrastructure

  11. Joy Online

    … According to the Education Minister, reforms in the financing and procurement of food under the Free Senior High School programme have improved the availability of supplies. …

    World Bank set to approve US$300m for expansion of Ghana’s school infrastructure
Society

Government commits to paying GH¢50 million Free SHS supplier arrears

The News

The government has assured suppliers under the Free Senior High School programme that payment of outstanding arrears will begin next week, following a picketing exercise by the National Association of Institutional Suppliers at the Ministry of Education. Members are owed nearly GH¢50 million for uniforms, house dresses and other school items dating back to 2023, with the first tranche of about GH¢38 million said to be ready for disbursement.

Why it matters

Government commits to disbursing GH¢50 million in overdue Free SHS supplier payments next week, resolving a significant accountability issue affecting education supply chains.

12 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 12 June

  1. Government commits to paying GH¢50 million Free SHS supplier arrears

    The government has assured suppliers under the Free Senior High School programme that payment of outstanding arrears will begin next week, following a picketing exercise by the National Association of Institutional Suppliers at the Ministry of Education. Members are owed nearly GH¢50 million for uniforms, house dresses and other school items dating back to 2023, with the first tranche of about GH¢38 million said to be ready for disbursement.

    12 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 11 June

  1. Suppliers demand settlement of Free SHS arrears over two years outstanding

    Members of the National Association of Institutional Suppliers have picketed the Ministry of Education over unpaid debts for goods supplied to schools under the Free Senior High School programme, demanding approximately GH¢50 million in outstanding arrears accumulated since 2023.

    11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  2. Education Minister pledges one-week resolution for GH¢50m SHS supplier debt

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu promised the National Association of Institutional Suppliers that the government would resolve approximately GH¢50 million in outstanding Free SHS programme arrears within one week, following a picketing exercise at the Ministry of Education. The suppliers are owed for goods including uniforms and essential items supplied to public senior high schools since 2023, with the minister indicating the total exposure could exceed the stated amount and proposing that claims be audited and validated before payment.

    11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  3. Suppliers to picket Education Ministry over GH¢50m Free SHS debt

    The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will proceed with a planned picket at the Ministry of Education demanding payment of approximately GH¢50 million owed to its members for supplies delivered to public senior high schools since 2023, despite fresh assurances from government officials during a June 10 meeting.

    11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 10 June

  1. Education Minister convenes national conference to address school indiscipline

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has identified growing indiscipline in senior high schools as a major challenge and announced that a national conference will be held in Kumasi or Sunyani before the end of July, bringing together educators, academics, religious leaders, traditional authorities, parents and education officials to develop solutions.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  2. Education Minister convenes national conference to address school indiscipline

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has identified indiscipline in senior high schools as a major challenge and announced plans to convene a national conference in Kumasi or Sunyani before the end of July, bringing together educators, religious leaders, traditional authorities, parents and other stakeholders to develop solutions.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  3. Education Minister: Ghana schools no longer facing food shortages

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said schools are no longer experiencing food shortages for the first time in many years, attributing the improvement to the government's decision to decap the Ghana Education Trust Fund and allocate GH¢4 billion this year to school feeding through the Ghana Commodity Exchange and Buffer Stock Company.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  4. Education Minister reports no school food shortages this year

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has said that schools are not experiencing food shortages that affected the sector in previous years, attributing the improvement to the government's decision to decap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), which has strengthened financing of school feeding through the Ghana Commodity Exchange and Buffer Stock Company. The government has allocated GH¢4 billion this year for school feeding.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  5. World Bank to approve US$300m for Ghana school infrastructure upgrade

    The World Bank is expected to approve a US$300 million facility on June 16 to support the expansion of educational infrastructure across Ghana, with plans to upgrade 50 senior high schools by converting 30 Category C schools to Category B status and 20 Category B schools to Category A.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

  6. World Bank to approve US$300m for Ghana school infrastructure upgrade

    The World Bank is expected to approve a US$300 million facility on June 16 to support expansion of educational infrastructure across Ghana, with plans to upgrade 50 senior high schools by converting 30 Category C schools to Category B status and 20 Category B schools to Category A.

    10 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 4 June

  1. Ghana's 2025 education policies show measurable progress, unequal delivery

    A monitoring report by Africa Education Watch reveals measurable progress in Ghana's 2025 education policies, including improvements in capitation grants, Free SHS, school feeding, and menstrual hygiene support, but also identifies inequitable allocation of infrastructure, learning materials, and teacher deployment across 10 districts studied.

    4 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 25 May

  1. Declining school supervision fueling student indiscipline, lawyer warns

    Lawyer Lom-Nuku Ahlijah has raised concerns that declining supervision in Ghanaian schools, driven by overcrowding and inadequate investment following the Free SHS policy, is contributing to rising indiscipline on campuses, citing the incident at Ada Senior High Technical School where four students were arrested after a cutlass-wielding student threatened colleagues.

    25 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 15 May

  1. Mahama launches STAR-J project to end double-track system by 2027

    President John Mahama has announced the STAR-J project, a major education infrastructure initiative led by the Ministry of Education to eliminate the double-track system in Senior High Schools by end of 2027. The programme will involve construction and expansion of classrooms, dormitory blocks, and lecture halls to increase enrollment capacity and improve learning conditions.

    15 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 12 May

  1. Government secures funding for Free SHS feeding programme stability

    Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced that the government has secured financial arrangements to ensure steady food supply for Free SHS students, with enhanced funding through the Ghana Education Trust Fund to prevent the past disruptions that forced school closures.

    12 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 8 May

  1. GES denies Free SHS schools charging GH¢1,700 feeding fees

    The Ghana Education Service has rejected claims that Free SHS schools are charging students GH¢1,700 feeding fees, stating that no school has been authorised to collect money from parents or students under any guise. The GES warned that any institution found charging such fees would be operating unlawfully.

    8 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 7 May

  1. Ofori Sarpong commissions 600-bed dormitory for PRESEC

    Businessman Ernest Ofori Sarpong on Tuesday commissioned a newly constructed 600-bed dormitory for Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC), his alma mater, to mark his 60th birthday. The project, begun in November 2025, is intended to address congestion at the school, which currently has 6,000 students.

    7 May 2026 · Daily Guide →

Tuesday 5 May

  1. NAFCO needs GH¢770m to clear rice glut from 2025–26

    The National Food Buffer Stock Company says it requires at least GH¢770 million to absorb a rice surplus from the 2025 farming season, but has received only GH¢100 million in 2025 funds and is awaiting a further GH¢200 million announced in the 2026 Budget.

    5 May 2026 · Joy Online →

  2. NAFCO needs GH¢770m for farmer rice and grain purchases

    The National Food Buffer Stock Company says it needs GH¢770 million to buy excess rice and grains from farmers, but has received only GH¢100 million so far, with an additional GH¢200 million indicated in the 2026 budget. The shortfall follows complaints that NAFCO has not fully implemented a directive to procure locally produced rice for Free SHS schools, some of which continue using imported rice.

    5 May 2026 · Joy Online →

  3. GNAT calls for significantly increased basic education funding

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers has renewed its call on government to significantly increase funding for basic education, describing current allocations as inadequate to support quality teaching and learning. GNAT's National President noted that budgetary allocation to basic education remained disproportionately low compared to other sectors within the Ministry of Education.

    5 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Free Senior High School — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute