Basic education gets highest GETFund finance in 7 years

Basic education in Ghana has been underfunded in the last seven years. This trend changed when basic education received its highest GETFund financing in 7 years as a result of parliament’s approval.
A record total of GH¢800 million was approved by the government for the basic school sector under the pre-tertiary education level.
Teachers, parents and education focused think tanks and NGOs have complained bitterly in the past 7 years about the neglect of the basic school by the Nana Addo-led government. However, the newly approved funding is expected to help deal with the chronic challenges of the sector.
The GH¢800 million amounts to 20% of the GETFund Formula for 2024. In 2023, basic schools were allocated just 12%, which amounted to GH¢ 270 million. The increase in money terms is a whopping GH¢ 530 million and 196 percent over the 2023 funding.
Out of the total funding allocated to the basic education level, GH¢ 370 million is projected to be used to finance the construction of new basic schools as well as the renovation and completion of other basic school projects.
Another GH¢ 270 million will also be used to finance ongoing school projects, while a total of GH¢ 100 million will be used to take care of furniture for schools across the country.
Reacting to the parliamentary approval, Kofi Asare of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) said the approved amount shows huge progress has been made towards developing basic education. Since 2017, the government has been accused of neglecting basic education and focusing its efforts on free SHS.
According to Eduwatch, the positive development can be attributed to its one-year intensive advocacy for basic schools, which called on the government of Ghana to shift its focus from just free SHS to basic school challenges such as the lack of desks and basic school infrastructure, among others.
“We urge the Ministry of Finance to improve upon the slow release of funds under the GETFund to ensure all ongoing projects are completed this year,” Eduwatch stated in a blog post sighted by GhanaEducationNews.Org.
However, EduWatch, prior to the government’s allocation of GH¢ 100 million to desks, called on the government to increase its financial allocations to desks by not less than GH¢ 60 million in the 2024 GETFund formula. The GH¢ 100 million excited the think thank.
After the announcement, EduWatch hinted that it was going to contact the government, parliament, and Minister of Finance on other important actions needed, which include the usual slow-paced disbursement of funds allocated to basic schools.
READ: Basic education gets highest GETFund finance in 7 years
The think tank also called on non-governmental organisations’ and businesses to support governments efforts in this direction. “We urge local governments and the non-state sector, including faith-based organisations and private companies, to support the provision of desks in public basic schools,” it added.
READ: Juaben Model JHS unveiled in trending video by MoE and GES
If the GH¢800 million allocated is released on time and used judiciously, many of the challenges that have hindered the development of our basic education in the past 7 years will be dealt with and give a befitting facelift to the basic school level in Ghana.