President John Dramani Mahama has directed a major policy shift that will see the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) take full responsibility for financing all expenditures related to the Free Senior High School (FSHS) programme, according to the Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu.

Announcing the directive, Mr. Iddrisu explained that the President’s decision aims to ensure sustainable funding and efficient resource allocation for the flagship education programme, which has been central to the government’s agenda for expanding access to secondary education.

He noted that under the new arrangement, the GETFund will not only support infrastructure development but also cover key operational expenses of the Free SHS initiative, including teaching and learning materials, infrastructure projects, feeding, and other administrative costs.

“The President believes this policy shift will consolidate funding streams for the Free Senior High School programme and ensure that its implementation is both effective and sustainable,” Mr. Iddrisu said.

He added that the Ministry of Education and the GETFund Secretariat have begun working closely to align the Fund’s expenditure framework with the new directive.

The move, he said, forms part of the government’s broader efforts to restructure the education financing system to achieve greater transparency and accountability.

Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the Free SHS programme as a permanent feature of Ghana’s educational landscape, describing it as an essential investment in the nation’s human capital development.

The decision is expected to be formally communicated to Parliament in the coming weeks as part of the Ministry’s policy updates ahead of the 2026 budget cycle.