The government is committed to making the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) a sustainable and dedicated source of funding for the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, ensuring its improvement and long-term viability, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has stated.

Speaking at the 66th Anniversary Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Swedru Secondary School over the weekend, Dr Forson announced that GETFund would receive GH?9 billion this year, covering both outstanding arrears from previous years and current allocations.

He emphasised that adequate funding was crucial to enhancing the quality of education, stressing that “the Free SHS programme has come to stay.”

Dr Forson acknowledged sustainability and quality as the two main challenges facing Free SHS and revealed plans to amend the GETFund Act to earmark specific funds for the programme.

He added that the government was also committed to paying first-year university fees for students, funding tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and providing sanitary pads for girls in basic and secondary schools.

The event’s guest speaker, Professor Festus Annor-Frimpong from the University of Cape Coast, highlighted the lasting impact of education policies on access and quality. 

He called for a collective effort from all stakeholders to achieve national educational goals. 

Meanwhile, the President of the Swedru Secondary School alumni association, Samuel Atta Mensah, handed over a newly constructed four-flat teachers’ bungalow to the school’s management.