The National Union of Ghanaian Students (NUG) has intensified its campaign for government to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund Act (GETFund Act 581, 2000) which was established by the government for the funding of education in the country.
According to the General Secretary of the National Union of Ghanaian Students, Mr Ismail Tuohesung Issahaque, out of the total GETFund levy accruals of GHC 4.6 billion in 2023, only 39% of the GETFund levy proceeds were allocated to GETFund for education financing by the government for the year 2023.
He noted that the situation has undermined the effective financing of education in the country, particularly basic education, the school feeding programme and infrastructure development across all the educational institutions in the country.
“The point is that which revenue is the government using to fund free senior high school? In the first year of the free senior high school, the government had a system that they used to fund the free senior high school and per our research, it was the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat which got their resources from the GETFund. For every single thing that you and I buy here in this country, an amount is being charged to fund education in the country.
“But today, the GETFund is capped and the majority of the fund resources are going to other things not related to education. It is the reason why we are experiencing the huge traffic in our secondary schools. If the schools are there and we have enough classrooms and hostel for them, the teaching personnel are enough for them, then we won’t have problems”.
Ismail Tuohesung Issahaque, NUGS General Secretary
Furthermore, ahead of tomorrow, November 15 2023 budget reading by the Finance Minister, the General Secretary of the National Union of Ghanaian Students, Mr Ismail Tuohesung called on the government to undertake measures that would lead to the uncapping of the Ghana Education Trust Fund to serve its mandate as enshrined by the GETFund Act 2000 (ACT 581).
NUGS Justifies Calls For Government To Uncap GETFund
Moreover, the General Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Student indicated that if the government uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund Act, more revenue would be available to the government to provide funding to all public educational institutions in the country to ease the severe financial burden on them.
Meanwhile, the Press and Information Secretary of the National Union of Ghanaian Students, Akwasi Worae expressed disappointment and worry about the decision by the government to cap the Ghana Education Trust Fund Act and direct funds purposively made for the financing of education into other government business.
He thus urged the government and all stakeholders to take immediate steps to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund Act to serve its intended purpose of financing education in the country.
“Our major issue with the capping of the GETFund is that why did you bring GETFund? It is for funding education. Funds are taken to fund education, so if you take GHS100.00 and give us 45% and take 55% to other government businesses, then why did you institute it? If you want to use the money to fund education, then invest the whole 100% in education. Just don’t cap it, that is all”.
Akwasi Worae, NUS Press and Information Secretary
Additionally, the National Union of Ghanaian Students raised deep concerns about the disruption of school activities in the communities affected by the flood resulting from the Akosombo dam spillage.
According to the General Secretary of the Union, Mr Ismail Tuohesung over 19, 743 school children have been affected by the flood occasioned by the Akososmbo dam spillage by the Volta River Authority.
“I must say that while, were are commending CSOs, NGOs, government, and the Ministry of Education for what they have done so far, we believe there is still more we can do in the aspect of education. We have seen how well-meaning Ghanaians and other corporate agencies have been there to support these people but I believe their focus has been on the community and not the schools in the various communities. There were about 27 basic schools that were washed away in these affected areas and the few schools that are available to accommodate this student have also been used as evacuation centres”.
Ismail Tuohesung Issahaque , NUGS General Secretary
The National Union of Ghanaian Students thus urged the government and all well-meaning Ghanaians to extend the required support to schools within the affected communities to protect the education of children in the affected communities of the Akosombo dam spillage flood.
