The Deputy Minister of Education-designate, Clement Abass Apaak, has announced that the government is reviewing the feeding programme under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy to address ongoing challenges.
During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Mr Apaak said the current arrangement for feeding students is temporary, as the government has yet to present its first budget.
He explained that, for now, school heads have been given funds to procure food for students.
“The current measure is to provide resources to school heads to purchase food while a long-term plan is developed.
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This is a temporary arrangement until the John Dramani Mahama-led government presents its first budget,” Mr Apaak said.
The Free SHS policy, introduced in 2017, has faced challenges, including food shortages in some schools due to delays in government supplies.
Parents and teacher unions have raised concerns about the quality and quantity of meals served to students.
Mr Apaak did not give details on the planned adjustments but suggested that changes could be introduced in the upcoming national budget.
His vetting also covered other education policies, including the expansion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
He acknowledged that previous administrations had made progress in this area but stressed the need for further investment.
He stated that 10 STEM schools were at various stages of completion, with seven already operational. He also noted that new subjects, including biomedical engineering, aeronautics engineering, and advanced agricultural science, had been introduced to equip students with the skills needed for modern industries.
“STEM education requires substantial funding, and we cannot rely only on government resources. If my minister were to seek my opinion, I would suggest reaching out to bilateral and multilateral partners, as well as donor organisations, to support the effort,” he added.
Mr Apaak mentioned the MasterCard Foundation as one of the organisations that had previously supported Ghana’s education sector and suggested that similar partnerships should be explored.
