A former Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education under the immediate past NPP administration, Kwasi Kwarteng Esq, has provided clarity on what he described as a “perceived discrepancy” in the total number of beneficiaries under the Free Senior High School (SHS) program, following recent comments by the new Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.

The new Education Minister, while addressing a public forum, disputed the Free SHS beneficiary figures touted by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He asserted that the actual number of beneficiaries stands at 3.05 million students, significantly lower than the 5.7 million figure earlier cited by the Akufo-Addo-led government.

In response, Kwasi Kwarteng explained that the variation in figures is due to a financial accounting technique adopted by the Ministry of Finance.

He pointed out that this approach, which first appeared in Ghana’s 2024 Budget Statement and was reiterated in the last State of the Nation Address by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, relies on cumulative budgeting rather than annual enrollment numbers.

“For financial reporting purposes, the Ministry uses cumulative budgeting approach instead of relying on the nominal yearly enrollment figures. This approach results in counting each student as a separate beneficiary for every year they remain in school under the program.
“Consequently, a student would be counted three separate times over their three-year period in Senior High School.”
Kwasi Kwarteng, Private Legal Practitioner/Fmr. Spokesperson, Education Ministry

As a result, Kwasi Kwarteng argued that the total figure of 5.7 million referenced by the previous administration reflects the cumulative effect of this accounting method rather than the distinct number of individual students who have passed through the Free SHS system.

Kwasi Kwarteng further stated that the accurate number of unique beneficiaries, based on annual enrollment data from the Free SHS Secretariat, stands at 3,511,733 as of 2024.

He emphasized that this figure aligns with official data consistently provided by the Ministry of Education in all its official reports. He also noted that the Ministry’s funding allocations have been based on this enrollment model.

Expanding Access to Quality Education

While addressing the controversy, Kwasi Kwarteng urged stakeholders to move beyond the fixation on figures and instead prioritize discussions on expanding access to quality education for Ghanaian children.

“Clarifying this issue is essential, but it is equally important to shift our focus to ensuring expanded access to quality education for more Ghanaian children. That is where the conversation must move going forward” .
Kwasi Kwarteng, Private Legal Practitioner/Fmr. Spokesperson, Education Ministry

His response comes amidst broader debates about the effectiveness and sustainability of the Free SHS policy, which has been a flagship program of the NPP government since its inception in 2017.

As the new Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, settles into his role, educational activists anticipate that he undertake a more detailed review of the policy’s impact and financial framework as his party promised ahead of the 2024 general elections.