The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that President John Mahama has instructed him to submit the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill to Parliament once it resumes in May. Speaking in Accra at the swearing-in ceremony of a newly constituted 17-member Board of Trustees for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the Minister explained that the bill is designed to tackle favoritism and nepotism in the distribution of government scholarships.
He emphasized that beyond eliminating bias and ensuring scholarships are not awarded to unqualified individuals, the bill would focus on promoting merit-based awards and supporting institutions in strengthening their faculty.
Additionally, the Minister charged the Board with securing adequate funding for the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and guaranteeing consistent food supply for schools. He encouraged the Board to align its budget allocations with President Mahama’s educational research agenda, which aims to develop students equipped with 21st-century skills, values, and attitudes.
Highlighting the importance of foundational education, Mr. Iddrisu proposed that ideally, 35% of GETFund resources should be allocated to basic education, 40% to higher education, and 25% to Free SHS, assuming supplementary financial backing from the Ministry of Finance.
He also directed the Board to prioritize addressing infrastructure deficits in secondary schools, which have been worsened by increased enrolment under the Free SHS initiative. The Minister announced a plan to fund at least five locally-based PhD scholarships for public universities.
Furthermore, he urged the Board to ensure the completion of over 300 stalled GETFund projects to maximize value for money. Mr. Iddrisu expressed confidence in the Board’s ability to help expand access, improve quality, and enhance the relevance of education across institutions, while also advising them to set aside funds for emergencies in the sector.
In response, the Chairman of the GETFund Board, Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, thanked the government for the trust placed in them and pledged the Board’s commitment to delivering on its responsibilities.
The newly appointed Board includes Prof Ahmed Jinapor (Ghana Tertiary Education Commission), Prof Ernest Davis (Ghana Education Service), Mr Masawudu Mahama (Ministry of Finance), Rev Dr Cyril G.K. Fayose (Religious Bodies), and Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong (Ghana Revenue Authority). Other members are Mr Paul Adjei (GETFund), Mrs Mamle Andrews (Ministry of Education), Mr John Awuah (Ghana Bankers Association), Mr Seth Kobla Aklasi (Ghana Insurers Association), Ms Patience Abla Ganyo (National Pensions Regulatory Authority), and Rev Prof John Frank Eshun (Technical Universities).
Also serving on the Board are Ms Philippa Larsen (Ghana National Association of Teachers), Mr Daniel Nii Botchway (National Union of Ghana Students), Ms Grace Amey-Obeng (Association of Ghana Industries), Madam Francisca Atuluk (National Council on Women and Development), and Mr Alexander Frimpong (Ghana Employers’ Association).
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