Government Realigns Education Spending to Strengthen Foundational Learning

The government is realigning expenditure towards basic education to strengthen foundational learning and improve educational outcomes.

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed this on Friday during a community engagement when President Mahama took his Resetting Ghana Tour to the Upper East Region.

He said the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had so far awarded 2,038 contracts covering basic, secondary and tertiary institutions across the country to expand access to education.

Mr Iddrisu indicated that the government was also expanding access to tertiary education, with plans to establish between two and four additional public universities.

He said work was progressing on the proposed University of Science and Technology in Damango, with the design and build phase completed. According to him, the President had committed US$30 million from a grant received to support the commencement of the project, while efforts were ongoing to mobilise additional funding.

The Minister also said the University for Development Studies in the region would soon seek accreditation to offer medical education, subject to the availability of resources and the required accreditation.

At the secondary level, Mr Iddrisu said the government was committing between US$2.8 billion and US$3 billion under the STAR programme to expand access to secondary education and 12 schools in the Upper East Region would benefit from the programme.

He further disclosed that the Minister for Finance had signed a US$42 million agreement for the expansion of a secondary school in Bolgatanga into a modern STEM institution.

Mr Iddrisu said the government would also expand facilities at existing senior high schools and take steps to protect school lands from encroachment. He announced that two special needs education schools would be constructed in Ullo and Sinyane as part of the government’s education programme.

The Minister also said work would soon begin on regional libraries in the Upper East and Volta regions, with funding from the District Assemblies Common Fund and funding secured from Italy would also support the retooling of some tertiary institutions, including the Bolgatanga Technical University.

Mr Iddrisu said the government was addressing challenges facing senior high schools by expanding infrastructure, providing funding for feeding and improving quality assurance, and students at Zamse Senior High/Technical School were no longer facing food shortages, following interventions to support feeding in schools.

The Minister disclosed that Navrongo Senior High School was among the institutions benefiting from the GETFund programme, with an assembly hall and expanded dormitory facilities being provided.

Mr Iddrisu stated that the government was committed to making education a priority in the Upper East Region and called for support for President John Dramani Mahama’s education agenda.

Priscilla Osei-Wusu Nimako, ISD