The World Bank has committed $300 million to support Ghana’s Secondary Education Transformation for Results and Jobs initiative, a flagship programme aimed at improving learning outcomes and expanding job opportunities for young people.
The programme forms part of the government’s effort to transform the country’s secondary education system through skills training for employment and national development.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who announced this in Accra, said the initiative would support the upgrading of Category ‘C’ schools to Category ‘B’, while converting some Category ‘B’ schools to Category ‘A’, and expanding infrastructure in existing Category ‘A’ schools to accommodate more students.
Event
The minister disclosed this when he, the Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, Paschal Donohoe, and other officials from the bank, visited some beneficiary schools of the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP).
The team visited the Osu Manhean Basic School and the Forces Senior High and Technical School at Burma Camp, Accra.
Mr Donohoe is on a five-day working visit to Ghana and Liberia.
This is his first visit to West Africa since his appointment in November, 2025.
Mr Iddrisu said the support followed earlier discussions during a Spring Meeting in Washington, when the country presented a proposal outlining the resources required to reform and expand the secondary education sector.
He said that such an investment would improve laboratories, technical workshops and vocational training facilities in schools across the country.
Mr Iddrisu also announced plans to lay a bill before Parliament to establish a National Defence University to strengthen training within the military.
“I will be laying a bill in Parliament to establish a National Defence University. I am currently liaising with the Office of the Attorney-General to put the dots into the legislation for legislative scrutiny,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu said the GETFund had already set aside $25 million to support the take-off of the proposed university.
The minister further commended the World Bank for supporting GALOP, which he said had improved teacher capacity, enhanced school management systems and provided learning materials to beneficiary schools.
Impact
Mr Donohoe said he was impressed by the school and the impact of the bank’s support to education in the country.
“It is a great honour to visit your base and to see with my own eyes this extremely impressive school and how the support of the World Bank will make a difference to these schools and to schools all over Ghana,” he said.
He commended the Minister of Education for his commitment to improving education for young people in the country.
“I have seen the impact of the GALOP programme and the role that it is playing in supporting pupils in acquiring important educational outcomes with regard to reading and mathematics,” he said.
Mr Donohoe said the next phase of the partnership between Ghana and the World Bank would focus on ensuring continued support for students as they progressed through the education system.
“What is so important about the next phase of our partnership is how we ensure that as the youngest pupils receive the teaching and development that they need, we continue with them in their journey as they move into secondary school and higher forms of education,” he added.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
