The former Public Relations Officer (PRO), of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, has revealed that the number of beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme was inflated due to financial accounting practices by the Ministry of Finance.

In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, January 30, Mr Kwarteng explained, "The perceived discrepancy in the total number of beneficiaries under the Free SHS programme stems from a financial accounting technique employed by the Ministry of Finance, which was first outlined in Ghana’s 2024 Budget Statement and later reiterated in the most recent State of the Nation Address delivered by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo."

He continued, "For financial reporting purposes, the Ministry uses a cumulative budgeting approach rather than relying on the nominal yearly enrolment figures. This approach results in each student being counted as a separate beneficiary for every year they remain in school under the programme. As a result, a student would be counted three times over their three-year period in Senior High School."

Mr Kwarteng stated that if the annual enrolment figure had been used to calculate the beneficiaries, the Ministry would have arrived at the correct number.

He explained further, "Using the annual enrolment 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 communications. The Ministry’s funding has been based on the enrolment as outlined above."

He concluded by calling for efforts to improve the country's education system, saying, "While clarifying this issue is important, it is equally crucial to shift our focus to expanding access to quality education for more Ghanaian children. That is where the conversation must move moving forward."

This follows new findings by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who has refuted claims that 5.1 million students had benefited from the Free Senior High School policy, as reported by the previous government. He warned that the inflated figures could lead to financial mismanagement and resource wastage.

He clarified that the actual number of beneficiaries stands at 3.9 million and that using inflated figures for planning and expenditure has had significant implications for government spending.

Mr Iddrisu made these remarks during his first official meeting with the ministry’s development partners on Wednesday, January 29.

Read also: Free SHS: 3.9 million have benefitted not 5.1 million — Haruna Iddrisu