By Alex Ababio
The Ministry of Education has released GH¢195.5 million to cover June 2025 feeding costs for Senior High Schools (SHSs) and clear a long-standing debt owed to the organisers of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ). But while the government points to this disbursement as proof of its commitment to free education, head teachers warn of deeper cracks that threaten to derail Ghana’s secondary school system.
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The Breakdown of the Cash
Out of the total amount, GH¢186 million will pay for feeding SHS students in June 2025, while GH¢9.5 million will settle arrears owed to Primetime Limited, organisers of the NSMQ, from 2023 to 2025.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, at the 63rd Annual Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in Sunyani on October 8, 2025.
“I personally edited and supervised the letter which ensured the release through GETFund,” the Minister said, insisting that he had taken a hands-on approach to ensure the funds were secured.
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Nearly GH¢1 Billion Already Spent on Feeding
Mr. Iddrisu revealed that since assuming office, the GETFund and the Ghana Education Service (GES) had released nearly GH¢1 billion to sustain SHS feeding.
He admitted that extending free compulsory universal basic education to cover SHS had created enormous financial pressure on government.
“That places an onerous burden on me,” he said, defending the scale of spending.
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Moral Standards Under Scrutiny
The Minister shifted the conversation to the role of teachers, urging them to uphold the “highest moral integrity” while shaping the next generation.
“Provide schoolchildren with holistic education — not just literacy but moral, social, and inclusive well-being,” he urged.
He also called for heavy, sustained investments in educational infrastructure to reduce overcrowding, particularly in Category A schools, adding that President John Dramani Mahama had prioritised this under his “reset agenda.”
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CHASS Blows the Whistle on Teachers
But CHASS leaders at the conference painted a disturbing picture of moral failings within the teaching profession.
Reverend Stephen Owusu Sekyere, National President of CHASS, decried the rise of teacher-student sexual scandals.
“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 incidents are shameful and contradict what the profession stands for,” Rev. Sekyere declared.
He urged the GES to enforce strict sanctions under the teachers’ Code of Conduct, while leaving room for possible legal action.
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Students Turning Violent
The concerns did not end with teachers. Rev. Sekyere also warned of a dangerous rise in student violence, indiscipline, and substance abuse.
From students carrying offensive weapons to violent attacks on teachers, he described a worsening atmosphere in schools.
The abuse of substances such as the notorious “RED” energy drink mixed with hard drugs, and marijuana, he said, had created a culture of recklessness that now threatened lives.
“Already, serious injuries and deaths have been recorded in schools,” he cautioned.
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Exam Fraud Undermines WAEC
Examination malpractice was another crisis area. Rev. Sekyere noted that cheating scandals continued to undermine the credibility of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
“This cannot be solved at the Senior High School level alone. We must start at the basic schools, instilling integrity rather than an obsession with passing tests,” he argued.
Abandoned Projects, Empty Offices
Beyond moral failures, CHASS highlighted crippling resource shortages. Rev. Sekyere listed abandoned school projects, a severe lack of non-teaching staff, and the absence of duty post vehicles as obstacles to effective school administration.
He warned that without urgent attention, these systemic problems would erode the very foundation of Ghana’s much-celebrated Free SHS policy.
The Bigger Picture
The Sunyani conference revealed a stark contradiction: while government points to large disbursements — GH¢195.5m in October alone, nearly GH¢1bn since the start of the policy — head teachers on the ground describe a system sinking under the weight of indiscipline, corruption, and chronic underfunding.
Free SHS may remain a flagship policy, but without fixing these cracks, critics warn, Ghana risks pouring billions into a leaking bucket.