The much promised free SHS program promised by the Akuffo-Addo administration has been receiving huge financial assistance all this while, according to the Minister of Finance. Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta mentioned that GH¢ 899,524,466.30 has been put into the program so far. Moreover, he stated that there was even more room made for the initiative in the 2018 budget. This was during his mid-year budget review before the parliament on Thursday July, 19 2018.
While addressing the issue, he mentioned that the government had faced problems with the initial implementation of the program. He however that progress had been made with the supply of 32,171 dining hall furniture, 12,953 bunk beds, 4,335 student mattresses, and 5,135 computer laboratory chairs, 96,413 mono desks, and 3,033 tables and chairs for teachers.
He also mentioned that the beneficiaries of the program at the moment were 368,118 first year students in public Senior High Schools; of which 117,692 were day students, and the other 244,426 being boarding students.
According to the Minister, government is still committed to the implementation of the programme which is estimated to have made it possible to enroll an additional 90,000 students who would have otherwise dropped out of school.
The Free SHS Programme was implemented in September, 2017 with goal of making higher education accessible to all as well as reducing the number of school dropouts caused by financial constraints.
