Teacher trainees, BECE candidates and basic schools get GH¢562m in 2027 Budget

The government has allocated a combined GH¢562 million to support teacher trainee allowances, Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) fees and the Capitation Grant in the 2027 Budget.

The allocations are intended to sustain teacher training, ease the financial burden on candidates sitting the BECE and provide financial support to public basic schools to facilitate teaching and learning.

Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, announced the provisions while presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.

Under the allocations, GH¢227 million has been earmarked for teacher trainee allowances, GH¢169 million for BECE fees and GH¢166 million for the Capitation Grant.

The largest of the three allocations, GH¢227 million, will go towards the payment of allowances to teacher trainees across the country.

Dr Forson said the provision was intended to support people preparing to teach the next generation.

The allocation forms part of the government's planned expenditure on teacher education and the development of the country's future teaching workforce.

The funding is expected to sustain financial support for trainees as they undergo professional preparation to take up teaching responsibilities in schools.

The government has also allocated GH¢169 million towards the payment of Basic Education Certificate Examination fees.

The provision is expected to support the conduct of the examination and ease the financial obligations associated with the assessment for candidates.

The BECE serves as an important stage in Ghana's basic education system, assessing pupils at the end of their junior high school education.

The allocation is part of the government's efforts to sustain support for basic education and ensure that examination-related costs do not become an additional financial burden for families.

A further GH¢166 million has been allocated to the Capitation Grant to support public basic schools.

The grant provides financial assistance to schools to support their operations and facilitate teaching and learning.

The allocation is expected to sustain the funding mechanism and provide resources to support the delivery of basic education.

The three provisions form part of the GH¢48 billion allocated to the Ministry of Education in the 2027 Budget.

The broader allocation also includes funding for educational infrastructure, the elimination of the double-track system, tertiary education access, free sanitary pads for schoolgirls and special education.

The government has also made a separate allocation of GH¢250 million to the Scholarship Secretariat to support its scholarship responsibilities.