The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has urged government to ensure adequate budgeting is done before commencing educational infrastructure projects to prevent them from stalling.
The call follows an inspection tour of senior high schools in the Eastern Region, where several stalled projects and deteriorating infrastructure were observed.
From three schools visited, Ghana Senior High School , Koforidua Secondary Technical School and New Juaben Senior High Commercial School, the committee witnessed significant infrastructure challenges.
Many old school buildings were in a state of disrepair, while newly initiated projects by successive governments remained uncompleted.
Providing updates to the committee, the heads of the schools stressed the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades to support a smooth transition from the double-track system to the single-track system.
They cited inadequate classroom space, overcrowded dormitories, and a severe shortage of furniture as key issues affecting academic activities.
“The current number of classroom stands at 52 and we have a deficit of 20 if we have to roll on to single track,” Headmistress of GHANAS, Diane Akosua Minah, stated.
Following the tour, the Committee acknowledged the efforts of school management in maintaining operations despite the challenges.
They recommended that the government prioritize budgeting before starting any new projects and expedite the completion of stalled ones to create a more conducive learning environment for the smooth transitioning to the single track system by close of the year.
“We have taken note of project in various levels of completion, some have gotten to 80 to 90 per cent and I am sure with little resources they should be able to finish them, so that students can use them. Some of these projects have been stalled for more than 10 years. I don’t think it is good for us, that would be a waste of resources and going forward, I think we should have budget for projects before we start them so that we don’t waste public money or resources,” Chairman of the Select Committee on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, pointed out
Deputy Ranking Member on the Committee, Mustapha Hamid added “This is a policy that the government has put in place and we will ensure that as a Committee that has oversight responsibility on the Ministry of Education, after the tour we would submit our recommendation to the Minister to ensure that we go back to the single track.
The President of All Nations University, Professor Samuel Donkor, called for the implementation of inclusive policies to ensure broader participation and equitable development of private universities.
“The current landscape often treat us as secondary players, this must change if Ghana is to truly harness education as an engine for development.”
