Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has dismissed claims that the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme could collapse due to lack of finances and given the assurance that there is enough money to sustain it.

He said the over GH¢1.2 billion allocated to the implementation of the Free SHS this year, is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to ensuring its sustainability.

According to him, the policy remains a top priority of the government and as such, it would continue to channel enough resources to address its (Free SHS) challenges as and when they appear.

Speaking at the opening of the Fifth Quadrennial and 52nd National Delegates’ Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Cape Coast, Central Region, on Thursday, the vice president emphasized, “We can afford the free SHS.”

Dr Bawumia said the free SHS, the restoration of nurses and teacher trainee allowances as well as 100 percent increment in the Capitation Grant, are a further demonstration of the government’s commitment to education.

He disclosed that the Ministry of Finance had released GH¢14,172,313.23 for the payment of outstanding transfer grants, allowances and salary arrears of validated teachers engaged between January 2013 and December 2016.

He noted that issues of validation and arrears of teachers had been a major challenge in the educational sector for years, with newly-engaged teachers bemoaning the long delays they had to endure before receiving their salaries.

The veep therefore, gave assurance that the government would do everything within its power to better the lives of teachers, adding that a motivated teacher is key to realizing the vision of President Akufo-Addo and his government regarding quality education.

In his address, the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, said ensuring quality education is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders and advised parents to play their respective roles to make the government’s free SHS beneficial to their children.

The acting National President of GNAT, Madam Philippa Larsen, expressed fear that the issue of accumulated salary arrears and the attendant challenges on the national budget are gradually creeping into the pay administration system of the country.

She therefore, appealed to the government to critically assess the situation with the aim of correcting it without any further delay because it demoralises workers.