By Kodjo Adams
Accra, March 11, GNA – The Government has allocated GH¢499.8 million for the No-Academic-Fee Policy for all first-year students in public tertiary institutions.
The policy is under the ‘No-Fees-Stress’ initiative, which forms part of the Government’s Manifesto to cater for the academic fee for first-year students in the public universities.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, announced this on Tuesday in Accra during the presentation of this year’s budget statement to Parliament.
“Mr Speaker, the overarching concern about the free secondary education has been its quality and the absence of a dedicated source of funding,” Dr Forson said.
He said the Government, under the leadership of President John Mahama, had uncapped the GETFund to make available dedicated funds for the full financing of free tertiary education for persons with disabilities.
Dr Forson stated that the Government had allocated GH¢564.6 million for comprehensive provision of free curricula-based textbooks.
These covers four sets of kindergarten books and workbooks for about 2.8 million learners, four sets of primary textbooks for 800,000 learners, and nine sets of Junior High School three textbooks for 540,000 learners.
“We have also allocated GH¢203 million for the payment of the Teacher Trainee allowances and another GH¢480 million for Nursing Trainee allowances,” he said.
GNA
ABD