The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the release of all outstanding feeding grants due Special Schools as well as arrears owed Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) for perishable supplies.
The move, which covers significant portions of the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic years, is expected to ease the financial and operational pressure that many school heads have publicly and privately expressed in recent months.
In a statement dated 12th December 2025 and signed by the Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyi, GES confirmed that management had completed the transfer of the outstanding feeding grant for all Special Schools, specifically covering the third term of the 2024/2025 academic year and the first term of the 2025/2026 academic year.
This announcement brings to an end a period of uncertainty during which Special Schools—already operating under tighter budget constraints due to their unique needs—faced increasing difficulty in sustaining adequate nutrition and care for learners.
The statement further indicated that GES had also released all arrears on perishable food items owed SHS and SHTS for the period between 29th July and 17th October 2025.
For months, food suppliers and school heads had raised concerns about delayed reimbursements, which in some cases threatened the timely supply of fresh ingredients needed to maintain balanced meals for students under the government’s school feeding allocation for secondary institutions.
GES emphasised that all relevant funds “have been successfully transferred into the respective accounts” of schools across the country. The confirmation of payment offers immediate financial relief to heads of institutions who had been operating within stretched budgets while awaiting the outstanding transfers from the central administration.
The release of the funds is expected to restore confidence among suppliers of perishable food items, many of whom had begun to express frustration over prolonged payment delays.
For school administrators, this intervention also comes at a strategic period as they prepare for the subsequent school term, with feeding arrangements being a crucial component of school operations under Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy.
Compliance to Financial Accountability
In its statement, GES reminded heads of Special Schools, SHS, and SHTS to comply with the financial accountability processes required by the service. According to the notice, school heads are expected to submit official receipts acknowledging the funds they have received.
These receipts are to be forwarded through Regional Accountants to the Director-General of GES for verification and documentation. The directive underscores GES’s insistence on transparent use of public funds and adherence to administrative procedures.
As financial scrutiny around the education sector continues to grow—especially in the context of rising food prices and concerns about the sustainability of the Free SHS programme—the emphasis on proper accounting reflects management’s intent to ensure that the released funds serve their intended purpose.
“Management counts on the cooperation of all Heads and reiterates its continued commitment to supporting effective teaching, learning, and inclusive education across the country”.
Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations, Ghana Education Service
The release of these funds marks another effort by GES to stabilise operations within the education sector following a series of complaints, public appeals, and media reports highlighting the challenges schools were facing due to outstanding obligations.
With the disbursement now officially confirmed, stakeholders—particularly school heads, teachers, and caregivers—will be looking to ensure that the funds translate into improved welfare for students.
As Special Schools resume their termly activities, administrators are expected to prioritise the nutritional needs of learners, many of whom require specialised diets and resources.
For SHS and SHTS institutions, the availability of funds for perishables is expected to enhance menu planning and the general food quality provided under the Free SHS feeding arrangement.
The coming weeks will likely reveal how swiftly schools are able to reconcile their accounts, settle outstanding obligations with suppliers, and streamline their feeding operations.
The Ghana Education Service, on its part, will be expected to maintain consistent communication on subsequent releases to avoid future build-up of arrears and to further strengthen stakeholder confidence in its financial administration.
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