12% of total national budget for education is below international benchmarks - SEND GHANA

SEND GHANA, a non-governmental organisation in Ghana has bemoaned the 12% fiscal allocation of the 2023 budget to education as it described the said figure to the sector as below international benchmarks.

This assertion was made at a media briefing by the organisation held on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in Accra.

Addressing members of the organisation and the media, the Senior Programme Officer of SEND GHANA, Mrs. Harriet Nuamah Agyemang expressed concern about what she says is a decline in the budget allocation for the education sector over the last five years.

Stating that the percentage budget for the sector has been at 17.7% for the last five years but has declined to 12% for the year 2023.

Mrs. Nuamah stated that “We have a percentage share of the ministry’s (finance ministry) allocation over the five years and you will notice that we have been declining from 17.7% and this year, the government is allocating 12% of the total national budget to education. This is below international benchmarks of about 15% of the total national budget to education. So, we are not actually doing well and we know all the challenges in the education sector.”

However, Mrs. Nuamah acknowledged the Government of Ghana (GOG) as the biggest contributor to Ghana’s education sector aside from IGF, oil revenue and funds from GETFund.

“By source, the Ghana government remains the highest contributor to education in this country and contributing this year about GH¢15 billion to education, followed by IGF. The education sector generates its own funds and supports what we receive from our taxes. GoG taxes the government’s transfers to the Ministry of Education. And then, we have our developing partners and then the oil revenue also contributes some funds,” she added.