Parliament passes GETFund Bill to support free education

The Parliament of Ghana has unanimously approved the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to support the country’s free secondary and tertiary education programmes.

The passage means the GETFund will dedicate financial backing for free secondary education, targeted assistance to improve access to tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and expanded funding for inclusive learning environments.

Presenting the Bill to the House, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrissu, said the amendment would “give finality to the legal funding of free secondary education, address infrastructural deficits, and promote inclusivity

“It will give assurance to the continuation of the free senior high school policy initiated by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018, but it probably did not provide for a dedicated funding source for free senior high school.

“Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Ato Forson, Minister for Finance, decided to uncap the GETFund and to dedicate that financing so that additional resources are made available to finance education.

“Mr. Speaker, what this House needs to note is that when this law passes, we are assuring persons with disabilities of free tertiary education. So it means that any person who gains admission and is a person with disability to pursue higher education will receive support from the Government of Ghana, from President John Dramani Mahama. He is assured that he can go through his studies at the higher education level with support from the state.”