Government to Pay GH₵994 Annual Stipend for Students in Private SHSs Under New Free SHS Extension
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will provide an annual stipend of GH₵994 per student to support 25,000 students placed in selected private senior high schools across the country.
This move forms part of a pilot initiative to extend the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy to private institutions, aimed at expanding access and reducing the financial burden on parents whose wards could not secure placement in public schools.
Addressing journalists at a media briefing at the Ministry of Education on Thursday, Mr. Iddrisu said the intervention ensures that 25,000 students who otherwise would have been left without placements now have the opportunity to continue their education in private schools under the new arrangement.
“Otherwise, that 25,000 would have been without schools, and that could define a terminal end to the career of many young people desirous of having a taste of senior high school and progressing into tertiary level,” the Minister said.
ALSO READ: Government Partners Private Schools to Expand SHS Access and End Double-Track System
He explained that the GH₵994 stipend represents the government’s initial contribution toward the cost of tuition for each student, describing it as a “starting commitment” under the agreement signed with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS).
Mr. Iddrisu further disclosed that the Ministry of Education will work closely with the management of participating schools to improve infrastructure, enhance teaching quality, and strengthen learning outcomes to ensure the success of the programme.
According to the Minister, the inclusion of private schools in the Free SHS programme also forms part of the government’s long-term plan to phase out the double-track system in public senior high schools. By collaborating with the private sector, he said, the Ministry aims to create more space, improve quality, and promote equal educational opportunities for all Ghanaian students.
The initiative, he added, underscores the government’s continued commitment to inclusive education and to ensuring that no Ghanaian child is denied access to secondary education due to infrastructural limitations or financial constraints.
Watch the video below:
Join our WHATSAPP CHANNEL, WHATSAPP GROUP 1, WHATSAPP GROUP 2 and TELEGRAM CHANNEL to get all relevant teaching resources to make your lessons effective.
Subscribe to this blog and follow us on facebook
