BUDGET: 107 b cedis for improving basic education

Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo on Thursday announced that more than 107 billion cedis had been allocated to improve basic education.

Under the Basic Education Sector Improvement Programme, 2,000 teachers' accommodation, 100 classroom blocks and 150 KVIPs would be provided at the cost of 57.790 billion cedis.

In this year’s budget statement presented to Parliament he said 420,000 pieces of classroom furniture would be procured at the cost of 50 billion cedis.

Mr Osafo Maafo said 13.173 billion cedis had also been earmarked to improve infrastructural facilities in senior secondary schools. The government, the Minister said, would reinvigorate the traditional emphasis on education by addressing challenges such as low enrolment, low quality of education, low numbers of students with adequate employable skills and institutional deficiencies.

Mr Osafo-Maafo said some teacher training institutions would be rehabilitated, while at least one senior secondary school in each of the 110 districts would be upgraded. Additionally, he said, some second cycle schools would be connected to the Internet.