Free SHS Benefitted 3.5 Million Not 5.7 Million- Ex-education Ministry Spokesperson
The former Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng has stated that 3,511,733 students benefitted from the Free Senior High School and TVET policy introduced by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as of 2024.
In a statement intended for clarity, he said the figures that were consistently churned by the former President and the immediate past Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum were fuelled by discrepancies.
“Using annual enrollment figures available at the Free SHS Secretariat, the accurate total number of beneficiaries under the Free SHS programme stands at 3,511,733 as of 2024. This figure is consistent with official data provided by the Ministry of Education in all its official communications.”
He blamed the Finance Ministry for the discrepancy in the total number of beneficiaries.
“The perceived discrepancy in the total number of beneficiaries under the Free SHS programme stems from a financial accounting technique by the Ministry of Finance.”
The technique, he said, counted each student separately for every year they remained in school.
He explained, “For financial reporting purposes, the Ministry uses a cumulative budgeting approach instead of relying on the nominal yearly enrollment figures. This approach results in counting each student as a separate beneficiary for every year they remain in school under the programme.”
The former President consistently pegged the number of beneficiaries at over 5.7 million students.
The clarification comes after concerns were raised about the figures by Haruna Iddrisu, the new Minister for Education, upon assumption of role at the Ministry.
“From my cross check only 3.05 million were beneficiaries of free SHS not 5.7 million as claimed by the outgone administration, meaning 2.6 million beneficiary funds were syphoned as ghost names.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
