A Voluntary Education Fund is being set up by the Akufo-Addo-led government as part of moves to rally Ghanaians to willingly support the education sector.
The Education Ministry, according to the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, is working closely with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GET Fund) to fine tune the modalities of the Voluntary Fund.
Presenting the 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr. Ofori-Atta disclosed the Voluntary Education Fund will “enable Ghanaians make voluntary contributions to support education.”
The government has already launched its Free Senior High School education policy to absorb the tuition, feeding and other related fees in the education sector.
According to Mr. Ofori-Atta, the Capitation Grant was increased by 100 percent from GH¢4.50 per capita to GH¢9.00, in “fulfillment of Government promise to make basic education free and ensure participation by all.”
He added that “the implementation of the Complementary Basic Education (CBE) Programme is in its fourth cycle and operational in 43 districts of the three (3) Northern, Brong Ahafo, and Ashanti Regions.”
“The CBE will be expanded to 14 more districts to benefit an estimated 40,000 out-of-school children in 2018.
“Free SHS Programme commenced in September with first year students in public Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Institutions. Government absorbed all fees approved by GES Council for 353,053 first year students. The programme will continue with the second batch in 2018.
“Government restored the Teacher Trainee Allowance to cover over 49,000 trainees from 41 public Colleges of Education for the 2017/18 academic year. A projected 52,000 Trainees will benefit from the Teacher Trainee Allowance in the 2017/18 academic year,” the Finance Minister noted about the education sector.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
