Gh¢4.6bn GetFund allocation diverted - EduWatch

Accra, Ghana - A damning report by Africa Education Watch (EduWatch) has exposed a massive diversion of funds meant for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GetFund), leaving the country's education infrastructure in shambles.

The report reveals that between 2017 and 2024, only GH¢5.2 billion out of GH¢9.8 billion allocated to GetFund was utilized, with a staggering GH¢4.6 billion diverted to other purposes.

EduWatch's Senior Programmes Officer, Divine Kpe, described the situation as dire, noting that since 2019, about 60% of GetFund allocations have been misdirected.

"If you look at the data, you realise that so far from 2019 to date, the percentage of money that has been diverted from the GetFund is around 60%.

"This means that not all the funds intended to support infrastructure development in the education sector are being utilised for that purpose," he stated.

The GetFund was established to support education infrastructure development, but the diversion of funds has left many schools struggling with inadequate facilities.

Mr Kpe argues that the government's reallocation of these funds to other "priority issues" has hindered progress in addressing critical infrastructure challenges in the education sector, sparking concerns about the future of Ghana's education system.

"We still have about 2.3 million Ghanaian public school pupils who lack adequate seating and writing places," he noted.

"Over 5,000 schools are still operating under dilapidated structures. To address these issues, it is crucial that we uncap the GetFund and ensure that the allocated resources are fully directed toward improving educational infrastructure."

"If we can uncap the GetFund, it will mean more resources can be committed to education, especially in addressing the infrastructure challenges in our basic education sector," he added.

Source : Lead News Online