Ghana’s 2027 Budget provides GH¢48 billion for the Ministry of Education, with additional allocations for scholarships and school feeding. This analysis examines the major provisions and the challenges Government must address.
By Ferdinand Ellis
Article Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication | EducateGhana.com |
| Category | Education Policy and Budget Analysis |
| Date | 13 November 2026 |
| Budget Year | 2027 |
| Article Type | Education Budget Analysis |
| Author | Ferdinand Ellis |
| Status | Budget-based analysis |
Fact Check and Editorial Review
The Government of Ghana’s 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy states that GH¢48 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Education. The Budget also identifies separate provisions for the Scholarship Secretariat and the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
The figures in this article are reproduced from the Budget. They should be read with care because some programme amounts are presented within the Ministry of Education allocation, while others are stated separately. The article does not add these figures together as though they were all components of one allocation.
GH¢48 Billion for Education
Ghana’s 2027 Budget has allocated GH¢48 billion to the Ministry of Education to support teaching, learning and access to education. The allocation places education at the centre of the Government’s public expenditure priorities for the 2027 financial year.
Among the major education-related provisions identified in the Budget are GH¢11.2 billion for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), GH¢1.37 billion for secondary education transformation, GH¢537 million for the No Fees Stress policy and GH¢227 million for teacher trainee allowances.
Other listed provisions include GH¢292 million for free sanitary pads, GH¢169 million for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) fees, GH¢166 million for the Capitation Grant, GH¢133 million for existing education interventions and GH¢50 million for special schools.
The Budget separately provides GH¢250 million for the Scholarship Secretariat. It also identifies GH¢2.1 billion for the Ghana School Feeding Programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
These provisions reflect several dimensions of education financing, including infrastructure, access, learner welfare, teacher preparation and tertiary education support.
Basic Education: Infrastructure Remains a Major Concern
One of the most important issues raised in the education section of the Budget concerns the state of basic school infrastructure.
The Budget cites the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report as indicating that 10,370 public basic schools across 13 regions did not have classroom blocks. These schools reportedly had a combined enrolment of 3,050,808 learners.
The Budget further reports that 2,042 schools were combining two or more classes because of inadequate infrastructure.
These figures point to a serious challenge for basic education. Classroom shortages can affect lesson delivery, classroom management, learner participation and the ability of teachers to provide adequate attention to pupils.
The GH¢11.2 billion allocation to GETFund is therefore significant. The central question, however, will be how effectively infrastructure funding is distributed and whether projects reach communities with the greatest need.
The Government must ensure that infrastructure development responds to actual school-level deficits. Construction targets, project locations, completion rates and the number of additional classrooms delivered will be important measures of performance.
Download the 2027 Budget Education Extract HERE
Education Leadership in Ghana: Structure, Roles, Challenges and Future Directions
Curriculum Review and the Quality of Learning
The Budget reports that the Ministry of Education, through the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), continued a comprehensive review of the basic school curriculum from kindergarten to Primary Six.
The revised curriculum places emphasis on digital literacy, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and problem-solving. At the time of the Budget Statement, the revised curriculum document was undergoing further consultation for approval.
This development is important because curriculum reform must respond to the changing needs of learners and society. However, curriculum review alone cannot guarantee improved learning outcomes.
Successful implementation requires appropriate teaching materials, teacher preparation, effective supervision, suitable assessment practices and adequate learning environments.
The Budget also reports activities undertaken by the Ghana Library Authority, including 288 reading and literacy competitions, the establishment of 90 reading clubs, 182 mobile library outreach programmes and the supply of 12,456 reading books to 50 schools.
For 2027, Government intends to intensify literacy interventions through expanded reading clubs, mobile library outreach, increased book distribution and community learning programmes.
These interventions deserve attention because literacy and numeracy provide the foundation for learning across the curriculum.
Secondary Education Transformation and the Double-Track System
The Government has earmarked GH¢1.37 billion for secondary education transformation, with the stated objective of eliminating the double-track system.
The allocation is one of the major provisions within the Ministry of Education’s GH¢48 billion envelope.
The Budget also refers to the Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project. It records that a US$300 million World Bank loan for the project was signed in 2026.
The STARR-J amount should be distinguished from the 2027 cedi allocations. The Budget extract identifies it as a loan signed in 2026 and does not present it as a separate GH¢ allocation for the 2027 financial year.
The success of secondary education transformation will depend on the extent to which infrastructure, teaching capacity, learning resources and school management improve. The elimination of double-track arrangements must be accompanied by adequate facilities and sustained investment in the quality of education.
Teacher Welfare, Recruitment and Professional Development
Teacher welfare remains an important part of education sector performance.
The Budget reports that 7,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel were deployed and indicates plans for further recruitment to support basic schools, senior high schools and technical and vocational education and training institutions.
On professional development, the Budget reports that 205,923 teachers participated in continuing professional development activities. It also records that 96,207 teacher licences were renewed.
These figures indicate activity in teacher recruitment, professional development and professional regulation.
A particularly important announcement concerns a proposed 20 per cent special allowance for teachers serving in deprived communities. The Budget states that arrangements are being finalised for the allowance to commence in 2027.
This qualification matters. The Budget describes the allowance as an arrangement being finalised. It does not establish that payments have already begun.
If implemented effectively, the allowance could contribute to efforts to attract and retain teachers in underserved communities. Its impact will depend on transparent eligibility criteria, timely payment and a clear definition of the schools and locations that qualify.
Teacher welfare must also be considered alongside working conditions, accommodation, access to teaching and learning materials, professional development and opportunities for career progression.
Download the 2027 Budget Education Extract HERE
Tertiary Education and Financial Support for Students
The 2027 Budget includes GH¢537 million for the No Fees Stress policy, which is intended to support first-year students in tertiary education.
The Scholarship Secretariat receives a separate allocation of GH¢250 million to support its scholarship responsibilities.
The Budget also states that scholarship administration arrangements will be reviewed in line with the new Scholarships Act. This follows a parliamentary recommendation concerning GETFund’s administration of local scholarships.
The review is important for institutional accountability and the coordination of scholarship support. Students and families will be interested in whether the new arrangements improve access, transparency, fairness and the timely payment of approved scholarships.
The Budget’s internally generated fund retention schedule also identifies allocations for public universities, technical universities, colleges of education and other education-related institutions. These figures represent internally generated funds retained for expenditure by the covered institutions. They should not be interpreted as the full government funding or total institutional budgets of those institutions.
TVET and Skills Development
Technical and vocational education and training remains part of the education sector’s institutional funding arrangements.
The Budget’s IGF retention schedule identifies the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), the Ghana TVET Service and associated training institutions among the entities with expenditure allocations.
The wider policy importance of TVET lies in the preparation of learners with practical, technical and occupational skills. The effectiveness of investment in this area will depend on the relevance of training programmes, the condition of workshops and equipment, instructor capacity and links between training institutions and the labour market.
The Budget’s education provisions should therefore be assessed not only by the amount allocated but also by the extent to which they improve the quality and relevance of skills training.
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Inclusive Education and Support for Vulnerable Learners
The Budget provides GH¢50 million for special schools to support learners who require specialised educational provision.
It also reports that 272 graduates with disabilities are being absorbed into the Ghana Education Service.
In addition, the Ministry of Education partnered with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation under the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project to procure assistive ICT equipment for eight special schools. Installation had been completed in three schools and was ongoing in the remaining five at the time of the Budget Statement.
These measures are relevant to the broader goal of inclusive education. However, meaningful inclusion requires sustained attention to accessible infrastructure, specialised teaching resources, trained personnel, assistive technologies and appropriate support services.
The GH¢292 million provision for free sanitary pads is another learner welfare intervention. Its intended purpose is to support girls’ participation in education.
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School Feeding and Learner Welfare
The Ghana School Feeding Programme remains an important social intervention linked to school participation and learner welfare.
The Budget reports that the number of pupils fed daily increased from 4.03 million in 2024 to 4.53 million in 2026, across approximately 13,000 schools.
It also reports that the feeding grant per child increased from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2.00. The programme allocation rose from GH¢1.39 billion in 2024 to GH¢1.98 billion in 2026.
For 2027, Government has provided GH¢2.1 billion for the School Feeding Programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The Budget further reports that arrears owed to caterers for the first and second terms of the 2025/26 academic year were cleared. Monitoring coverage increased from 4,419 schools in 2025 to 8,270 schools in 2026, while 20,171 caterers and head cooks received training on nutrition standards.
The programme’s performance should be assessed through regular payment to caterers, food quality, nutritional standards, monitoring and the number of eligible pupils reached.
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What the 2027 Budget Must Deliver
The education allocations in the 2027 Budget cover a wide range of needs. The figures show that Government intends to support infrastructure, basic education, secondary education, tertiary access, teacher development, inclusive education and learner welfare.
However, the most important test will be implementation.
First, the classroom deficit requires measurable progress. The reported absence of classroom blocks in thousands of public basic schools calls for clear infrastructure priorities and transparent reporting on completed projects.
Second, the proposed 20 per cent allowance for teachers in deprived communities must move from administrative preparation to effective implementation. Teachers will need clarity on eligibility, payment arrangements and commencement.
Third, curriculum reform must be matched with the resources and professional support required for effective classroom practice. The success of a curriculum depends heavily on the teachers and schools responsible for implementing it.
Fourth, the secondary education transformation allocation must produce tangible improvements in access, facilities and learning conditions. The elimination of double-track arrangements must be supported by adequate capacity.
Finally, scholarship and learner welfare programmes must be administered transparently. Funding should reach intended beneficiaries and institutions without unnecessary delays.
Download the 2027 Budget Education Extract HERE
Conclusion: Funding Must Translate into Better Learning Conditions
Ghana’s 2027 Budget has placed GH¢48 billion under the Ministry of Education, alongside separate provisions for scholarships and school feeding. The allocations address several important areas of the education system.
Yet the reported classroom shortages, the need for improved teacher welfare and the continuing demand for quality learning resources show that the sector faces substantial challenges.
The success of the 2027 education budget should therefore be judged by what changes in schools and institutions. More classrooms must become available. Teachers must receive the support and incentives promised. Learners must have access to suitable materials and safe learning environments. Tertiary and technical institutions must be able to deliver relevant programmes.
Ultimately, the value of the education budget will be measured by its contribution to improved access, teaching quality, equity and learning outcomes.
Author Profile
Ferdinand Ellis is a lecturer, curriculum specialist, education researcher and policy analyst. He teaches through the University of Education, Winneba’s College of Distance and e-Learning (CoDEL). His professional interests include teacher education, curriculum implementation, professional practice learning and education policy.
Source
Government of Ghana. (2026). The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2027 Financial Year. Presented to Parliament on 12 November 2026.
Editorial note: This analysis is based on the education-related provisions extracted from the 2027 Budget Statement. Budget allocations and reported achievements are presented as stated in the source. The article does not independently audit expenditure or verify programme implementation.
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