Gov’t will provide GHS 345 million to pay first-year university students academic fees.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister for Education-designate, says the Government will make available GHS 345 million to cater for the academic fees of the first-year university students in its first budget. 

He explained that the first-year university students who had already paid their admission fees would be refunded to them. 

The education minister-designate announced this when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in Accra on Monday for vetting. 

The academic fees, he said, would pay for the first-year students who were pursuing normal subjects at the university, and not professional courses like Medicine. 

Commenting on whether the NDC government would maintain or cancel the Free SHS policy, Mr Iddrisu reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to maintain it but would undertake a comprehensive review of the policy to ensure its sustainability. 

He said education was a key driver for national development, poverty reduction and promote gender equality, therefore, the government would ensure access, quality and affordable education from the pre-school, basic, secondary, and tertiary education levels. 

The Education Minister-designate stated that the government would undertake a stakeholder forum, involving the academia, parents, and teacher unions to discuss the challenges of the Free SHS policy and enhance its implementation. 

The government would also deliberate on the future of the Free SHS policy to ensure adequate, sustainable, and reliable funding sources. 

The Education Minister-designate gave the assurance that the government would construct at least one STEM model school from the kindergarten to the tertiary education level. 

The government also intended to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) to free up additional funds for rolling-out more education infrastructure across the country, he said. 

The nominee suggested that at least five to six per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) should be allocated towards supporting education to improve accessibility and quality across board.