The government pays GH¢195.5 million to pay off the NSMQ debt and feed SHS pupils.
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The government has disbursed GH¢195.5 million to fund senior high school students’ meals for June 2025 and settle unpaid arrears owed to Primetime Limited, the organisation that organises the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ), from 2023 to 2025, according to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
GH¢9.5 million would be used to settle any unpaid arrears owed to Primetime, and GH¢186 million will go towards the June 2025 feeding charge.
This was revealed on Wednesday [Oct 8, 2025] during the 63rd annual Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in Sunyani by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu.
“I personally edited and supervised the letter, which was to go through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for the release of the money,” he said.
“Ensuring Comprehensive, Equitable and Sustainable Secondary Education in Ghana – The Role of Stakeholders” was the theme of the conference.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the GETFund have provided about GH¢1 billion to assist SHS feeding since he became the sector minister, according to the education minister.
He said that SHS was now included in the government’s increased scope of free, mandatory universal basic education.
He remarked, “That places an onerous burden on me.”
Mr Iddrisu urged educators to uphold the greatest moral standards in order to set an example for future generations.
He exhorted educators to strive towards creating a more equal and inclusive educational system that guarantees pupils a better future.
“Provide school children with holistic education by considering academic, moral, social and inclusive well-being. Ensure you’re not just feeding them with literacy only, but modelling and building their character,” added Mr Iddrisu.
In order to ease the strain on category “A” schools, Mr Iddrisu emphasised the necessity of increasing sustained, adequate investments in enhancing educational infrastructure.
“President John Dramani Mahama has accepted that responsibility in his reset agenda,” he stated.
The high degree of teacher indiscipline, particularly among those involved in romantic relationships with students, was lamented by Reverend Stephen Owusu Sekyere, National President of the CHASS.
“CHASS condemns, in no uncertain terms, the recent reported cases involving an assistant headmaster of KNUST SHS and a teacher of Okadjakrom Senior High Technical School (SHTS). These unfortunate incidents are in sharp contrast with what the profession upholds,” added Rev. Sekyere
He stated that, without affecting any potential future legal actions, CHASS expects the GES to implement the proper sanctions outlined in the Code of Conduct for Teachers.
Rev. Sekyere also voiced worry about the growing trend of student disobedience.
He added it was concerning that adolescents were abusing harmful chemicals like “RED” and marijuana, carrying aggressive weapons into schools, and physically attacking instructors in recent years.
According to Rev. Sekyere, those actions endangered school communities’ safety and weakened the authority of teachers.
“Already, serious injuries and deaths have been recorded in schools,” he stated.
The legitimacy of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is under threat from the ongoing threat of examination malpractice, he added.
“This problem cannot be solved at the senior high level alone. It must be tackled from the basic school level, where we need to instill in our students a culture of integrity and holistic learning, rather than an obsession with passing tests,” he said.
According to Rev. Sekyere, the schools’ continuing operation with little funding put them under a lot of strain and jeopardised their ability to run smoothly.
Rev. Sekyere stated that in certain institutions, a severe lack of non-teaching staff, abandoned projects, and duty post cars made administration more difficult.
Source: newsthemegh.com
