The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) is appealing to the government to remove the capping of funds allocated for the operation of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
The government’s expenditure and investment in the education sector are limited under the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act 947 of 2017.
President of NUGS, Daniel Kyeremeh Oppong, is appealing for the uncapping of allocated funds to GETFund to ensure more development initiatives are channeled into the school system.
The Funds Capping and Realignment Bill was passed into law (Act 947) and assented to in 2017.
The law capped transfers to earmarked funds to 25 per cent of Tax Revenue. This cap was reduced further to 17.5 percent as of 2023 through an amendment of Act 947.
Sixteen earmarked funds were affected by the new development, including the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND).
The total funds allocated to the education sector saw a reduction, with the GETFund formula of 39% levy allocated with the remaining 61% diverted to other areas.
This decision has been protested by several educational groups and organizations.
President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Daniel Kyeremeh Oppong has added to the plea for the revision of the act to allow for more educational development to augment recent heightened challenges.
“I commend the Education Ministry for many innovative and deliberate investments it has since advanced into education from 2017 but I appeal that it removes the capping on GETFUND so that we can see the full usage of same on the carrying out of more infrastructural and other development initiatives in schools across Ghana,” he said.
Daniel Oppong was addressing the NUGS Education Conference at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The Conference assembled educational authorities and tabled for the exhibition of innovations in STEM education.
The NUGS President further admonished state institutions to ensure youth representation in state institutions and youth agencies.
“I want to appeal to the government to ensure representations from NUGS are on youth as well as Educational outfits and agencies so that the interests of the Ghanaian student are catered for.
“I also would urge the government to consider making the 46 training colleges autonomous university outfits so they could offer opportunities for those interested in having tertiary education to do so and to be able to offer all programmes being offered at public universities,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who addressed the conference virtually, commended NUGS for showing interest in the education of Ghanaian students.
“We are changing the face of education and this undoubtedly would turn the fortunes of the country around because apart from free SHS, we have also introduced STEM education.
“This would ensure that students undertake courses such as Artificial intelligence and Engineering no matter their backgrounds previously or courses they offered. I am glad that NUGS is committed to ensuring that some of these visions are clearly implemented,” he said.
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