Credit: Kekeli K. Blamey
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Ghana’s education sector are calling for a comprehensive reform of the Students Loan Scheme (SLS), citing inadequate funding and inefficiencies in the system.
At a thematic forum on education in Accra, organised by STAR-Ghana Foundation, stakeholders highlighted the need for increased funding to support the SLS, which has been plagued by delays and shortfalls in loan disbursements.
According to the CSOs, the SLS received a commitment of GH¢160 million in 2022/23, but only GH¢53 million was available for disbursement. This resulted in only half of the expected loan amounts being disbursed to students.
Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, noted that the challenges facing the SLS are complex and multifaceted. He acknowledged that the scheme’s reliance on a 65% recovery rate, supplemented by GH¢5 million annually from the Communication Service Tax and a maximum of 10% from GETFUND, is unsustainable.
The CSOs are advocating for a significant increase in funding for the SLS, as well as a re-engineering of the financing mechanisms to make funds available at the beginning of the academic year.
Raymond Danso, Portfolio Manager at STAR-Ghana Foundation, emphasized the need for a unified civil society approach in addressing challenges in Ghana’s education sector. He expressed optimism about the government’s willingness to engage with CSOs and the public in shaping educational policies.
The forum was held as a precursor to the upcoming National Education Summit, which aims to bring together stakeholders to discuss the future of Ghana’s education sector. The CSOs hope that their proposals will be taken seriously and that the government will work towards addressing the challenges in the education sector.
