Government to invest GH¢2.8bn in secondary school infrastructure under STARR-J facility

The government plans to invest roughly GH¢2.8 billion from the US$300 million STARR-J facility to enhance secondary school infrastructure and boost educational access across Ghana. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu revealed that a portion of the funds will be utilized to reinforce quality assurance and furnish textbooks for schools.

He instructed Ministry of Education officials to ensure all initiatives under the program follow transparent procurement procedures. At the Ghana and Regional Foundational Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day, Iddrisu emphasized the need to focus on basic education, emphasizing literacy and numeracy. He stressed that the strength of Ghana's education system should be judged not only by the quantity of schools and classrooms built but by the extent of pupils' knowledge and skills acquisition.

Drawing from an Auditor-General’s report, Iddrisu highlighted that around 10,700 public basic schools in 13 regions, catering to over three million students, have inadequate classroom facilities, a matter requiring immediate attention. He noted that the 1992 Constitution guarantees free, compulsory, and universal basic education, underscoring the irony of discussing free secondary education without achieving the latter.

Iddrisu called for increased investment in foundational education stages to ensure children develop robust literacy and numeracy skills before advancing to higher levels. He also advocated for education policies and investments to be based on credible data and evidence, citing the GALOP project, which identified 10,579 underperforming basic schools for focused funding and technical aid.

Additionally, Iddrisu announced plans to incorporate digital and technical elements into the revised curriculum from kindergarten to Primary Six, introducing subjects like robotics, coding, electronics, and artificial intelligence to prepare students for the contemporary economy. The curriculum will be submitted to Cabinet for approval following its review by the Ghana Education Service.