MoE to pay GH₵994 per student to private SHSs under Free SHS

The Ministry of Education (MoE) says the government will pay GH₵994 per student annually to support private Senior High Schools participating in this year’s Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.

The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry and the Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Education and the Conference of Heads of Private Schools was to formalize the inclusion of selected private SHSs in the Free SHS policy.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu explained that the support, which is expected to benefit about 25,000 students, forms part of the government’s efforts to eliminate the double-track system in public schools.

“The government is committed to providing a stipend to support the transition of that category of students moving into private schools—that’s negotiable, we’ll still discuss as and when,” the Minister said.

He added, “But for a start, that’s the commitment we make to the Ghana National Council of Private Schools for this pilot inclusion of selected private schools in the provision of Free Senior High School education, as part of the government’s effort to end double track.”

The President of the Conference of Heads of Private Second Cycle Schools, I.K. Mensah, after the MoU agreement, commended the government for the initiative and clarified the terms of the pilot programme.

“And the caveat is that, for now, during this pilot system, he’s going to place only day schools to us by the payment of 994 Cedi for a child in private second-cycle schools,” he explained.

He further noted that parents who wish to have their wards as boarders can make up the difference between the government’s payment and the school’s boarding fees.

“Now, what is happening is that we know some private schools have different payments, different plans, and different payments for boarders and all that. So, if you are placed as a day student and you think your child comes from far and wants to access boarding facilities at that school, then you sit with the school and pay the difference between what the school is charging,” he said.

“For example, if it’s 2,000, it means the government has already paid or is going to pay 994 for that child who has come there. It’s up to you, the parent and the school, to pay the difference of, let’s say, 1,060 Cedi so that the child becomes a full-time boarding student.

So, what the government is giving us now is for day students, and they are to pay, or the government is going to pay, 994 Cedi for this pilot program.”