The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), an education and research think tank group has commended Parliament for approving the highest amount of Ghana Education Trust Fund accruals for the funding of basic education in the country.
The Executive Director of the education-focused group, Kofi Asare commenting on the issue, expressed excitement and stated that the GHS 800 million allocations of the Ghana Education Trust Fund accruals towards basic education constitute 20% of the total GETFund Formula for 2024, compared to 12% in 2023.
He emphasized that this year’s allocation of Getfund proceeds towards funding basic education in the country is the highest allocation under the ruling New Patriotic Party since it assumed power in 2017.
“Our meetings with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, and regular engagement with the Minister of Education have been productive and will continue, to ensure full budget execution, spending efficiency, and quality implementation. Eduwatch and partners are grateful to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and the Minister of Education.
“The development follows one-year intensive advocacy for desks and basic school infrastructure, with support from FCDO and Oxfam, and in partnership with STAR Ghana Foundation, ActionAid, education CSOs, and the media”.
Kofi Asare, Executive Director Africa Education Watch
Mr. Kofi Asare further noted that the 2024 Ghana Education Trust Fund proceeds allocation of GHS 800 million to basic education is a 196% increase from the GHS 270 million allocated in 2023.
Furthermore, the Executive Director for the Africa Education Watch indicated that of the allocation of GHS 800 million of the Ghana Education Trust Fund proceeds to basic education, a total amount of GH¢ 370 million is earmarked for the completion of new and ongoing basic school projects as well as for the provision of furniture for school children.
Expressing joy over the decision, Mr. Asare stated that the allocations would go a long to reduce the rising number of schools under trees in the country as well as ensure that the student-to-desk deficit of over 2.3 million across the various basic schools in the country is addressed accordingly.
Ministry Of Finance Urged To Ensure Timely Disbursement Of Fund
Moreover, the African Education Watch Executive Director, Kofi Asare urged the government, particularly the Ministry of Finance to ensure timely disbursement and release of the GETFund proceeds to the various agencies responsible for basic education in the country.
He stated that the immediate and timely disbursement of funds to the respective agencies and bodies under the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service would ensure that the various ongoing projects relating to basic education in the country are completed before the end of the year.
However, Selorm Branttie, a Technology Policy Analyst and Vice President for IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has urged the country to adopt a nonpolitical approach in the management of its education sector.
Mr. Branttie stated that the results of the country’s approach in managing its educational sector over the past decades have failed to produce any significant result, particularly in terms of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the country’s basic schools.
He called for an immediate relegation of what he described as ‘selfish-mindedness” of politics and the need for a renewed commitment towards formulating and implementing pragmatic policies to build a resilient future generation for the country.
The Vice President of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education admonished that if the country fails to undertake such pragmatic measures to improve its education standard, the country is likely to plunge into a “civil strife” and “unrest” in some few years to come.
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