The Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu says government remains committed to addressing infrastructure challenges associated with the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy to ensure students have a conducive learning environment.
According to him, a proposed 300 million US dollar support package is expected to help tackle infrastructure deficits.
Mr Iddrisu said this while touring two senior high schools in the Eastern Region.
The Education Minister with the Director General of Ghana Education Service, Professor Kofi Davis, and other officials toured Aburi Girls’ Senior High School and Adonten Senior High School in the Eastern Region.
It was aimed at interacting with students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination and engaging examination officials.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the education Minister to assess the state of infrastructure in the two schools.
Haruna Iddrisu acknowledged that addressing the challenges associated with the Free Senior High School policy would require significant investment in educational infrastructure.
Mr Iddrisu disclosed that government is pursuing a 300 million US dollar support facility from the World Bank to help expand and improve infrastructure in some senior high schools.
“We would respond forcefully and adequately to the challenges that has bedeviled the implementation of the free Senior high school initiative. Notably indequate infrastructure of classroom and dormitories, that affect your learning environment, psyche and preparedness for your exams and for the world ahead of you.
Only next week, the World Bank would meet on the 16th of this month to give approval to what we have promised of expanded infrastructure, we intend to convert 30 category C schools to B and 20 B schools to A. With 300 million US dollars for expanded infrastructure across the country.”
The Minister further announced plans to review the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) calendar to ease pressure on learners.
“Many of you pass through the BECE before WASSCE and I understand that schedule of the BECE was from Monday to Friday and that put many of you under stress. Accordingly, government is reviewing the BECE calendar, so now the BECE would begin on Wednesday and end the following Wednesday, so that adequate time is given to our learners to prepare across the country.”
Touching on the growing incidence of indiscipline in schools, he said stakeholders conference would soon be convened to identify practical solutions to the challenge.
“One of the major problems we would be dealing with this year, 2026 would be stemming the growth of indiscipline in our schools, particularly the Senior High Schools. We expect to hold a National Conference in Kumasi before July where we expect that Educators, Academia, the Church, Moral Society, Muslim community, chiefs, parents, Regional and District Directors of Education, Heads of schools to deal with stemming indiscipline in our schools.”
He added “We have always maintained that parenting is a shared responsibility of mother and father and the teacher. Many are losing it thanks to social media which has become a toxic source of mis and dis information and many young people are relying on it. But when we meet, I am sure we would take lessons from those educationist as to how to deal with it. But it must begin with responsible parenting and responsible teachers.”
By Yvonne Neequaye
