Eduwatch and IFEST-Ghana Demand Immediate Discontinuation to GETFund Foreign Masters Scholarships

Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) and the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST-Ghana) have called for an immediate halt to the Ghana Education Trust Fund’s (GETFund) plans to award foreign Masters scholarships.

In a statement, they cited legal and financial concerns over the Fund’s recent advertisement for these scholarships.

The groups referenced Section 2(2b) of the GETFund Act, 2000 (Act 581), which mandates GETFund to support scholarships within Ghana, not for foreign studies. They argued that the Fund’s direct administration of foreign scholarships is beyond its legal remit.

Parliament approved a GHC 3.9 billion allocation to GETFund in March 2024, on specific baselines. Eduwatch and IFEST-Ghana claim that funding foreign scholarships is illegal and constitutes unapproved expenditure.

Pointing out financial barriers to tertiary education in Ghana, the organizations noted that the current Gross Tertiary Enrolment (GTE) rate is 19.2%, far below the 2030 target of 40%. They stressed that the average student loan of GHC 2,250 per year is insufficient compared to the annual cost of GHC 400,000 for a foreign Masters scholarship.

The group argues that most foreign Masters programs are available locally at significantly lower costs, and spending on foreign scholarships amidst economic difficulties is poor value for money, especially with over 5,000 basic schools needing infrastructure improvements.

They called for immediate action from the Minister for Education, and Parliament to halt foreign scholarships and commit to scholarship system reforms.

Below is the full statement: