The Minister of Education designate, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced plans to work with the Minister of Finance to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
This decision is expected to unlock over GH 10 billion in funding for the education sector, which has been crippled by infrastructure deficits, teacher shortages, and inadequate resources.
The minister made the disclosure when he appeared before the vetting committee of Parliament.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, describe disclosure as a welcoming news.
According to him the previous capping of GETFund by the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was a devastating blow to the education sector.
“For seven years, we protested against this decision, but our concerns fell on deaf ears,” Asare revealed.
“Over 5,000 basic schools were forced to operate under trees and sheds, denying thousands of children access to quality education”, Kofi Asare revealed it in a Facebook post.
The uncaping of GETFund is a promise made in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, and Asare has commended Haruna Iddrisu for his commitment to making this a reality.
“This is a great welcome, and we are eager to see the impact this will have on the education sector,” Asare said.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, he will “engage the Minister for Finance to do this as a matter of expediency and for the President to engage with the IMF to review the memorandum, which included the GETFund in the negotiations.”
Speaking before Parliament’s Appointment Committee on Monday, January 20, the former Minority Leader stressed that President Mahama has committed to reviewing the International Monetary Fund agreement, and part of that review will focus on uncapping GETFund to free up resources for education financing, particularly higher education.
“President Mahama and the Minister of Finance have gone public, and I joined them in saying that we will uncap the GETFund to free additional resources to support robust infrastructure development.”
Asare’s organization, Africa Education Watch, has been at the forefront of the campaign to prioritize education funding. Recently, Asare called for a 20% allocation of the national budget to the education sector, citing international benchmarks such as the UNESCO recommendation.
The uncaping of GETFund is a major step towards achieving this goal, and Asare has praised Haruna Iddrisu for his leadership on this issue.
The implications of this decision are far-reaching. With the additional funding, the government will be able to address pressing challenges such as:
- Infrastructure deficits: Thousands of schools will receive much-needed upgrades, providing a conducive learning environment for students.
- Teacher shortages: The government will be able to recruit and train more teachers, reducing the crippling shortage that has plagued the sector.
- Inadequate resources: Schools will receive the resources they need, including textbooks, computers, and other essential equipment.
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