The Education Ministry has announced a transition from prepaid to postpaid meters across all government senior high schools nationwide.

This was announced by the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, during a speech at the 63rd Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) in Sunyani, held on Wednesday, October 8

The move comes following complaints from headteachers over the unreliability of prepaid meters and the challenges that disrupted power flow causes to academic work.

Ahead of the Minister’s announcement, CHASS National President, Alhaji Yakub A.B. Abubakar, highlighted some of the challenges faced by these headteachers, citing electricity supply disruptions due to prepaid meters.

In response, the Minister said “....And I’m happy to announce that, first January 2026, all CHASS schools will be on post-paid meters. My colleague Hon Jinapor asked me to convey to you that it is possible and that all CHASS schools will be moved to postpaid in order that you will not continue to endure the embarrassment of lights being off”, the minister disclosed.

Over the years, the government-assisted Senior High Schools (SHS) have complained about the interruptions in power supply due to the use of pre-paid meters in the respective schools. Prepaid electricity meters work on a “pay-as-you-go” system, where users buy power in advance and consume only what they’ve paid for.

Consequently, schools had to buy electricity upfront and later seek reimbursement from the Ministry of Education, and this created cash flow problems, especially when government funds were delayed.

Headmasters emphasised that power interruptions affected students’ ability to study, especially during exam preparation periods.

Schools like Mawuli SHS and Presec-Legon reported frequent blackouts when prepaid units ran out, disrupting evening studies and essential services. Mawuli SHS noted that “each time the units run out, we’re plunged into darkness,” which directly undermines academic performance.

The Minister also disclosed that the Education Ministry has cleared the outstanding arrears owed to Primetime Limited, organisers of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ), from 2023 to date.

The Ministry confirmed the disbursement in a statement released on Wednesday, October 8, issued by its Press Secretary, Hashim Haruna.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to promoting science and mathematics education through consistent financial support and broader participation.

“The Ministry of Education has released an amount of GH¢9.5 million to Primetime Company to clear all the arrears owed to the organisers of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz competition,” the statement read.

The Ministry also announced that the competition will now include more schools.

“The number of schools in the competition has now been expanded to 177, up from 124 this year,” the statement added.

The organisers of NSMQ released the timetable for the competition on October 1, which included the launch and balloting set for October 7, as well as the preliminaries slated for October 13 to 17.

Two days later, the one-eighth stage will kick off from October 19 to 21, followed by the quarter-finals from October 23 to 25. The semi-finals will take place on October 27, and the grand finale, where the champions will be announced, is scheduled for three days later.

However, CHASS initially announced its intention to boycott this year's competition, citing financial constraints. In a statement dated October 3 and signed by CHASS National Secretary Baro Primus, the organisation informed the quiz organisers that Ghanaian senior high schools would not participate in the balloting or subsequent stages of the 2025 NSMQ.

They explained that many schools were unable to mobilise resources and prepare students, noting that government funds intended for such activities had not been released.

“We regret to inform you that schools will not be able to participate in the balloting and subsequently the quiz competition due to non-availability of funds,” the letter read.

The association highlighted its willingness to rescind this decision should the government release the requisite funds and pledged to inform organisers accordingly. CHASS also apologised for any inconvenience this decision may have caused.

The National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) is an annual national competition for senior high schools in Ghana, focusing on science and mathematics topics.

Since its inception in 1993, NSMQ has grown from featuring 32 schools regionally to a nationwide competition with broad participation.

The competition is produced by Primetime Limited and is one of Ghana’s most celebrated academic programmes, promoting STEM education and academic excellence.

Past challenges have included funding lapses and interruptions. Between 2010 and 2011, the programme paused operations due to a lack of sponsorship.

In a thrilling showdown at the grand finale of the 2024 NSMQ, Mfantsipim School emerged victorious, narrowly edging out St. Augustine’s College by a single point to claim the prestigious trophy.

With a final score of 47 points to St. Augustine’s 46 points, Mfantsipim’s win marks their third NSMQ championship title, having previously lifted the trophy in 1999 and 2014.

The competition, held in Cape Coast, saw Mfantsipim School, St. Augustine’s College, and Keta Senior High Technical School (SHTS) go head-to-head in a tense five-round contest. Each round was filled with suspense as the three schools showcased their knowledge, agility, and composure under pressure.

The opening rounds established Mfantsipim and St. Augustine’s as front-runners, with both schools tied at 24 points in Round 1. In Round 2, Mfantsipim began to inch ahead, scoring 31 points compared to St. Augustine’s 34 points and Keta SHTS’s 12 points. By Round 3, the “Problem of the Day,” St. Augustine’s led with 5 out of 10 points, while Keta SHTS and Mfantsipim followed with 4 and 3 points, respectively.

The gap between the top two contenders remained razor-thin through Round 4, where St. Augustine’s held a slight edge at 46 points to Mfantsipim’s 44 points, while Keta SHTS scored 26 points. Entering the final round, the stakes were high, and Mfantsipim managed to outscore St. Augustine’s by two points to secure the ultimate victory at 47 points.

Keta SHTS, despite a strong showing, concluded the contest with 32 points. The impressive performances from each school kept the audience on the edge of their seats throughout, culminating in Mfantsipim’s historic win by a single point.

As champions of the 2024 NSMQ, Mfantsipim School celebrates not only their intellectual prowess but also the resilien