The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured Ghanaians that the government has made enough financial arrangements to provide sufficient food for students in senior high schools under the Free SHS programme.
According to him, the government reviewed the Free SHS policy and identified some major problems affecting the programme, especially challenges related to food supply and student feeding.
He said steps have now been taken to solve these problems and ensure that teaching and learning continue without interruptions in secondary schools.
Haruna Iddrisu gave this assurance during the opening of the regional office complex of the National Teaching Council in Tamale. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining and improving the Free SHS policy.
Speaking at the event, the minister admitted that food shortages in the past created serious difficulties for some schools under the programme.
In some cases, schools had to close temporarily, or students were asked to go home before the end of the term because there was not enough food.
However, he said the government has now secured enough resources to stop such problems from happening again.
“Having examined the feeding of Free Senior High School students, we realised that there were many times that schools had to be closed down or, in the course of the academic year, students had to be asked to go home because there was inadequate food. That is now a thing of the past.”
The Education Minister also explained that the government has improved funding for the programme through the Ghana Education Trust Fund, which will help provide steady financial support for Free SHS.
“There are adequate resources and adequate funding from GetFund to finance Free Senior High School.”
