Government allocates additional GH¢899m to Free SHS programme

Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, said to date, GH¢899,524,466.30 has been released for the 2017/18 academic year for the Free SHS Programme.

He said in addition, sufficient allocation has been made in the 2018 budget to cover the first term of the 2018/19 academic year.

The Minister said to address the initial challenges identified with the implementation of the programme, 96,413 mono desks, 32,171 dining hall furniture, 3,033 tables and chairs for teachers, 12,953 bunk beds, 4,335 student mattresses, and 5,135 computer laboratory chairs have been supplied to various Senior High School (SHS).

Mr Ofori-Atta said this in Accra on Thursday when he read the 2018 mid-year budget review to Parliament. 

 He said currently, a total of 362,118 first year students from all the public SHS made up of 117,692 day students and 244,426 boarding students were benefiting from the programme. 

Mr ofori Atta said government remained committed on the implementation of the programme which had created opportunities for the enrolment of an additional 90,000 students who would have otherwise dropped out of school.

The Free SHS Programme was implemented in September, 2017 to help reduce the number of school dropouts due to financial challenges.

Source: GNA