Category: Education

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced major reforms to the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, including the scrapping of the double-track system and the expansion of the policy to cover private schools.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr. Iddrisu explained that the policy expansion aims to accommodate more students in secondary education.

“We have decided to expand the intake of Free SHS to private schools in Ghana,” he stated. “This means that when the computerised placement system is used, 150,000 students will be placed in private senior high schools, in addition to those in public schools.”

The government plans to phase out the double-track system within the next two to three years, with significant investment in infrastructure to support the transition.

“Our goal is to end the double-track system, and this will require substantial infrastructure investment,” Mr. Iddrisu stressed.

He also revealed plans to extend Free SHS benefits beyond secondary education to include tertiary students.

“We want to ensure that every student in tertiary education benefits from the same support provided at the secondary level,” he added, reaffirming the government’s commitment to accessible education.

Meanwhile, Mr. Iddrisu has commissioned an audit into the controversial Senior High School (SHS) Wi-Fi contract, with findings expected to be made public within two to three weeks.

“I have requested that the audit findings be publicly disclosed within the next two to three weeks,” he stated.

He emphasized the government’s priority in improving internet access for students and hinted at considering local companies such as Starlink for the rollout of broadband infrastructure.

“What is important is that students have reliable internet connectivity. If a Ghanaian partner, such as Starlink, can help achieve this, we are open to such collaborations,” he noted.

The Minister confirmed that there are no plans to renew the previous Wi-Fi contract, as the process will undergo a full IT audit before being publicly advertised.

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has expressed concerns over the government’s decision to allocate funds for teacher trainee allowances in the 2025 budget.

He suggested that the support should have been structured as a loan rather than a grant.

“I thought it should be a loan so they can pay it back. Converting it into a grant is just spending money,” he said in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem.

He noted that while he was not entirely opposed to the nursing trainee allowance, he was not in favor of extending the same to teacher trainees.

“Maybe the nurses’ allowance is okay, but for teachers, I think it’s just spending money unnecessarily. The NDC may have considered that teachers need support, and if they can afford to give them, that’s fine. But for me, I believe they should be given loans instead of grants,” he argued.

Mr. Cudjoe also suggested that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was using the allowances as a political tool but acknowledged that the party had taken a different approach compared to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“The NDC is spreading the love and has been different this time, unlike the NPP. But beyond politics, I think maybe things are tough, so they want to give teachers some relief,” he added.

His comments come after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced a GHS683 million allocation for teacher and nursing trainee allowances in the 2025 budget.

“We have allocated GHS203 million for the payment of teacher trainee allowances and another GHS480 million for nursing trainee allowances,” Dr. Forson stated while presenting the budget in Parliament.

The allocation aims to provide financial support to aspiring educators and healthcare workers, ensuring they complete their training without financial hardship.

However, Mr. Cudjoe cautioned that while supporting trainees is important, the government must be mindful of how resources are allocated.

“We also need to be careful. Some of these beneficiaries may not even serve the country after their training. It’s a social democratic policy, and the NDC can choose to do these freebies, but we need to think long-term,” he remarked.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has officially declared Friday, 7th March 2025, a holiday for all school children across the nation.

This decision comes as a gesture to provide students with a well-deserved break after their rigorous preparations for the Independence Anniversary celebrations.

All schools will resume their normal activities on Monday, 10th March 2025. Parents and guardians are kindly urged to take note of this important announcement.

The GES apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates the cooperation of all involved parties.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a directive requiring staff affected by the recent revocation of appointments and recruitments to validate and reinstate their recruitment by March 14.

This move is part of an effort to clean up the database of all recruited staff on the GES payroll.

In a letter dated March 5, 2025, GES management referenced an earlier communication from February 17, 2025, which addressed the revocation of appointments.

The GES has requested all affected staff to participate in a validation exercise led by a three-member committee. This committee comprises the Regional Human Resource Officer, Regional Internal Auditor, and Regional Accountant.

Affected staff are required to provide the following documents to support the validation process:
1. Appointment Letter
2. Academic Certificate
3. Licensure Certificate
4. National Service Certificate

The validation process is expected to be completed by March 14, 2025. GES management has urged the cooperation of all affected staff to ensure the success of this exercise.

Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, Acting Director-General of GES, signed the letter and emphasized the importance of this validation exercise in maintaining an accurate and up-to-date payroll database.

The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has terminated the contracts of all Regional and Zonal Coordinators under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) with immediate effect.

No official reason was provided for the sudden termination.

In a statement issued on March 4, 2025, Gender Minister Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey announced the decision, expressing gratitude to the affected coordinators for their service.

Part of the statement read, “Please be informed that the contracts of all Regional and Zonal Coordinators of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) are hereby terminated with immediate effect.”

The affected staff have been instructed to report to the GSFP Secretariat to collect their termination letters and complete their handover processes.

The GSFP, a government initiative designed to provide free meals to schoolchildren to boost enrollment, attendance, and nutrition, has been a key social intervention programme in Ghana.

However, it has faced recurring challenges, including funding delays, allegations of corruption, and unpaid arrears to caterers.

Twenty schools in the Nanik and Nganme communities in the Bunkpurugu Yunyoo District of the Northeast Region have been closed indefinitely due to insecurity.

The decision is a result of a chieftaincy dispute between the communities which resulted in several deaths, injuries, and the destruction of properties.

The situation worsened when a non-native teacher working in the community was tragically killed, causing other teachers to flee for their safety.

Confirming the development to Citi News, the North East Regional Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Education Service, Daniel Bajab, said the situation remains unsafe for both teachers and students.

He added that stakeholders, including the GES, have held a meeting to discuss the situation and find solutions to ensure the safe return of teachers and students to school.

“The schools are affected by the chieftaincy conflict. Because of the conflict, the teachers and the students are all afraid to go out there to even go to school, and that has drastically affected attendance. About 20 schools have been affected, so there have been stakeholder engagements to find ways to address the situation.

“The director, along with members of the Ghana Education Service and major stakeholders, held a meeting to strategize on how to bring back the students and teachers to school,” he stated.

Academic activities have resumed at the Bokankye D/A School in the Atwima Nwabiagya North Municipality of the Ashanti Region under strict security protection, following its closure due to gunfire by land guards over a disputed piece of land near the school.

On Thursday, February 27, 2025, teachers and school authorities at Bokankye Kindergarten, Primary, and Junior High School temporarily shut down the school after land guards fired gunshots near the premises.

Reports indicate that a disputed piece of land near the school is at the centre of a conflict between two chiefs, prompting one of them to deploy land guards to assert control.

After a series of engagements between school authorities, traditional leaders, and security personnel in the area, a consensus was reached to resume academic activities on Tuesday, March 4 and ensure students’ right to education is upheld.

Speaking to Citi News, the assistant headteacher of the school, Francis Kakari, and the vice chairman of the Unit Committee, Richard Kwabena Boateng, confirmed the presence of security personnel at the school’s boundaries to ensure students’ safety.

However, they noted that there were no visible security officers within the school compound as personnel opted to remain stationed at vantage points around the school rather than appearing in full regalia and armed, to prevent fear and panic among students.

The assistant headteacher, Francis Kakari, also confirmed low attendance and urged parents to allow their children to return to school, assuring them of their safety.

“From the assurance we had from the district commander, we had no option but to resume school. On resuming today, attendance is very low. So, we had to inform the entire school, to inform the others who are not here, so they all return.

“We have also given information to the information Centre so they can inform the others. We are doing all we can to ensure that school is in full session,” he stated.