Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has revealed that 42% of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) budget for 2026 has been allocated to the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, with a substantial portion of the funds dedicated to student feeding.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, June 18, 2026, Mr. Iddrisu expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of relying heavily on GETFund resources to finance school feeding while the fund is also expected to support infrastructure development, basic education and other key interventions within the education sector.
According to the minister, the current allocation significantly reduces the resources available for GETFund’s core responsibilities.
“Currently, the GETFund has allocated 42% of its local budget revenue to school feeding under the Free SHS Programme. What then will be left for infrastructure, basic education, and the others?” he questioned.
Mr. Iddrisu noted that the financing structure of GETFund should be reviewed to allow the fund to focus more on foundational education, particularly literacy and numeracy, which are critical to improving learning outcomes across the country.
He explained that strengthening foundational learning would better prepare students for future academic success while ensuring that adequate resources remain available for infrastructure projects and other educational priorities.
The issue was also raised by the Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, who questioned the use of a significant share of GETFund resources for school feeding, arguing that it falls outside the fund’s primary mandate.
“If you take 42% of their revenue for the school feeding programme, which is not part of their core mandate, then you ask yourself, how much is put down for infrastructure,” she stated during the parliamentary debate.
The discussion highlights growing concerns among policymakers about the competing demands on GETFund resources as government seeks to sustain the Free SHS programme while addressing infrastructure deficits and improving the quality of foundational education.
GETFund was established to provide dedicated funding for educational development in Ghana, including the construction of educational infrastructure, scholarship support and other initiatives aimed at expanding access to quality education.
