By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Minister for Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed that the John Mahama-led government, through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), will release GH₵1 billion in 2026 to address critical infrastructure challenges facing schools nationwide.
The Education Minister made the disclosure during a working visit to the Upper East Region.
Mr. Iddrisu explained that the GH₵1 billion investment is aimed at tackling long-standing infrastructure deficits and ultimately phasing out the double-track system in senior high schools.
“This funding will help us deal decisively with infrastructure deficits and ultimately tackle the double-track system,” the minister said during a working visit to the Upper East Region.
As part of the visit, the Education Minister, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South Constituency in the Northern Region, stopped over at the Zebilla Senior High Technical School to interact with candidates writing the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and assess the impact of the Bawku conflict on academic activities.
The Education Minister therefore urged the students to remain focused on their studies despite the difficult environment.
“We need to say no to war, no to conflict. Education remains our surest bet to fight ignorance and poverty, so grab the opportunity and give it your best,” he admonished.
In a symbolic move, he declined to wear a bulletproof vest offered to him, explaining: “I refused to put it on because a bulletproof jacket does not belong in an academic environment. It does not create the conducive atmosphere needed for learning to thrive.”
Appealing for calm in Bawku, he stressed that peace is necessary to create the right environment for teaching and learning. “Lasting peace must be restored in Bawku so that the city can be rebuilt and a serene environment for education restored,” he noted.
The minister also highlighted the challenges faced by students in conflict areas, pointing out that their disadvantaged conditions are not considered during examinations.
“Unfortunately, examiners will not consider the fact that students here did not have the serenity and peace of mind to learn, yet they will be graded equally with their counterparts in peaceful areas,” the Education Minister stated.
