Ghana gov’t invests GH¢15.3m into capitation grant benefiting over 5 million pupils
The government of Ghana has released an amount of GH¢15.3 million for the capitation grant for school pupils.
The amount is for the payment of capitation grant for 5.25 million pupils in all public basic schools for the second and third terms of the 2010/2011 academic year.
The government disclosed this when it presented the 2012 budget statement to parliament November 16, 2011.
“… an amount of GH¢15.3 million was released during the year (2011) as payment of Capitation Grant for 5,252,683 pupils in all public basic schools for the second and third terms of the 2010/2011 academic year,” a text of the budget read by Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor said.
In fulfillment of the government’s promise of providing free school uniforms and exercise books to increase enrolment and retention, 1,258,690 uniforms and 39,536,119 exercise books were distributed to pupils in deprived communities across the country, the budget stated.
On some of the successes chalked by the government in the education sector, the budget indicated that twenty-one (21) Science Resource Centres in seven regions have been completed and handed over, whilst 57 were at various stages of completion.
It added that 435 projects made up of 380 six unit classroom blocks and 55 2-storey dormitory blocks were started and had reached various stages of completion.
The budget stated that another amount of GH¢36.8million has been released by the GET-Fund for the construction of lecture theatres, staff accommodation, library blocks, halls of residence, computer laboratories, auditoriums and agricultural engineering workshops which were at various stages of completion.
For the year 2012, the government says it will intensity the programme implementation of the capitation grant, free school uniforms, free exercise books, BECE subsidy and the Senior High School subsidy with a total amount of GH¢137,751,492.
The breakdown is as follows: Capitation grant – GH¢25,368,008; Free school uniforms – GH¢28,800,000; Free exercise books – GH¢28,967,500; BECE subsidy – GH¢6,718,332 and SHS subsidy – GH¢48,197,652.
According to the budget, the total amount of resources that would be utilized by the Ministry of Education to fund their programs and activities was GH¢2,871,680,218.00
By Ekow Quandzie