Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has disclosed that the government has allocated 42% of the 2026 GETFund budget to the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, with the funds largely dedicated to student feeding.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, June 18, 2026, Mr Iddrisu said the size of the allocation raises concerns about the sustainability of using GETFund resources to finance school feeding while also meeting the fund’s core obligations, including infrastructure development and support for basic education.
“Currently, the GETFund has allocated 42% of its local budget revenue to school feeding under the Free SHS Programme,” he said.
“What then will be left for infrastructure, basic education, and the others? That is why I have advised that we should realign the financing of GETFund to focus more on basic foundational learning, such as numeracy skills and literacy, which are important for the future learning success of our people.”
The minister suggested that the financing structure of GETFund should be reviewed to ensure greater emphasis on foundational education while preserving resources for infrastructure and other priority areas within the sector.
His comments came during parliamentary discussions on education financing and the long-term sustainability of key government programmes.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, questioned the use of a significant portion of GETFund resources for school feeding, arguing that it falls outside the fund’s primary mandate.
“If you take 42% of their revenue for the school feeding programme, which is not part of their core mandate, then you ask yourself, how much is put down for infrastructure,” she said.
The debate highlights growing concerns over competing demands on GETFund resources, as policymakers seek to balance funding for Free SHS, school infrastructure, and foundational education initiatives.
GETFund was established to provide dedicated funding for educational development in Ghana, including infrastructure projects, scholarships and other interventions aimed at improving access to quality education.
