Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has revealed that nearly half of the 2026 Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) budget has been committed to supporting the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme, with a substantial portion earmarked for student feeding.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 18, the minister disclosed that 42 per cent of GETFund’s locally generated revenue has been allocated to the Free SHS initiative, a development he said raises important questions about the Fund’s ability to meet its broader educational responsibilities.

According to Mr. Iddrisu, the growing reliance on GETFund resources to finance school feeding could limit the Fund’s capacity to invest in critical areas such as educational infrastructure, basic education and other strategic interventions.

He stressed the need to reconsider the current financing framework to ensure that GETFund remains focused on strengthening foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, which he described as essential to improving long-term educational outcomes.

The minister argued that a review of the funding arrangement would help preserve resources for infrastructure expansion and other priority programmes while supporting efforts to improve learning at the basic education level.

His remarks came during parliamentary deliberations on education financing and the sustainability of major government interventions within the sector.

Contributing to the debate, the Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, questioned the decision to channel a significant share of GETFund resources into student feeding, contending that the expenditure falls outside the Fund’s primary mandate.

She expressed concern that dedicating such a large portion of the Fund’s revenue to feeding programmes could reduce the resources available for infrastructure projects and other core educational investments.

The discussion reflects growing concerns among policymakers about how best to balance funding demands for Free SHS, school infrastructure development and foundational education initiatives.

Established to support educational development across the country, GETFund finances projects including school infrastructure, scholarships and programmes aimed at expanding access to quality education.