… The report highlighted improvements in key areas such as the predictability of capitation grants, the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, school feeding provision, and menstrual hygiene support. …
… Speaking on The AM Show on JoyNews on May 25, Mr Ahlijah said the growing teacher-to-student ratio in schools has made effective supervision increasingly difficult, particularly following the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy. …
… President Mahama stressed that the intervention is part of a broader plan to permanently end the double-track system, which was introduced under the Free Senior High School policy to manage overcrowding. …
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured the public that the government has secured adequate financial arrangements to ensure a steady and reliable supply of food for students under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme. …
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed reports suggesting that students under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy are being charged feeding fees, insisting that no school has been authorised to collect money from parents or students under any guise. …
… David Odjidja, said the continuous increase in students’ enrolment from 3,000 before the introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to over 6,000 has placed significant strain on existing facilities and, therefore, thanked Mr. …
… President John Dramani Mahama on March 5, 2026, directed that rice procurement for schools be centralised under NAFCO, with priority given to locally produced rice for the School Feeding Programme and Free Senior High School. …
The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) says it requires at least GH¢770 million to purchase excess rice and other grains from farmers nationwide, amid concerns over limited market access and delays in government procurement under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) pro …
… The Association said that although it appreciated the government’s continued investment in the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, there was an urgent need to prioritise foundational education to ensure long-term national development. …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.