Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu says President Mahama has asked him to send a new scholarship bill to Parliament when they meet again in May.

He mentioned this in Accra while swearing in 17 new members of the GETFund Board. According to him, the bill is meant to stop people from giving scholarships to their friends or family and instead give them to people who truly deserve it.

He added that the plan is not just to prevent unfair treatment but also to help schools train more qualified teachers and lecturers.

The Minister told the new Board to make sure there's enough money to keep the Free SHS programme going and to ensure schools have regular food supplies.

He also asked them to support the President’s goal of making education more modern—helping students gain the skills, values, and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s world.

He made it clear that investing more in basic education (like kindergarten and primary school) is important if Ghana wants to improve the whole education system.

Mr. Iddrisu suggested the funds should be split like this: 35% for basic education, 40% for higher education like universities, and 25% for Free SHS—if the Finance Ministry continues to support them.

He also urged the Board to fix infrastructure problems in secondary schools caused by the growing number of students due to the Free SHS programme.

The Minister said the government is planning to help public universities offer at least five PhD scholarships within Ghana.

He also wants over 300 abandoned school projects funded by GETFund to be finished, so the money already spent doesn’t go to waste.

He added that the Board should help universities grow and improve and also make sure there’s money set aside for emergencies in the education sector.

The new Board Chairman, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, thanked everyone for trusting them and promised that the team would do a good job.

Board members include: Prof Ahmed Jinapor, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission; Prof Ernest Davis, Ghana Education Service; Mr Masawudu Mahama, Ministry of Finance; Rev Dr Cyril G.K. Fayose, Religious Bodies; and Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Ghana Revenue Authority.

Others are: Mr Paul Adjei, GETFund; Mrs Mamle Andrews, Ministry of Education; Mr John Awuah, Ghana Bankers Association; Mr Seth Kobla Aklasi, Ghana Insurers Association; Ms Patience Abla Ganyo, National Pensions Regulatory Authority; and Rev Prof John Frank Eshun, Technical Universities.

The rest are: Ms Philippa Larsen, Ghana National Association of Teachers; Mr Daniel Nii Botchway, National Union of Ghana Students; Ms Grace Amey-Obeng, Association of Ghana Industries; Madam Francisca Atuluk, National Council on Women and Development; and Mr Alexander Frimpong, Ghana Employers’ Association.