Gov’t, World Bank sign agreement to improve 2nd cycle education

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that a total of 10,000 students would benefit from a three-year scholarship scheme under the secondary education improvement project.

Out of the number, 60 per cent of them would be girls, selected from low-income families throughout the country.

The president announced this when he launched the secondary educational improvement project in Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region.

In line with government’s effort to provide better social services in under-served areas, the World Bank Group and Ghana recently signed a $156 million financing agreement to improve access to secondary education in under-served districts.

The grant would support the Ghana Secondary Education Improvement Project, which aims to enroll 30,000 new secondary students, improve learning outcomes for 150,000 students in low-performing schools, and 2000 senior high school teachers, head teachers and other education officials.

The project would also support equitable access through expansion and scholarships in under-served districts, and help achieve better quality of education, especially in science and mathematics, by strengthening school management and teaching, and expanding information communication and technology to schools.

President Mahama said training would also be provided to Mathematics and Science Teachers from 125 schools throughout the country to improve on the study of those subjects in schools.

He said a total of 125 schools would also have their facilities upgraded to help the students to study hard to pass their examinations and take up responsible positions in the country.

He mentioned some of the facilities to be established as dormitory blocks, laboratories, ICT centres, libraries, canteens among other facilities.

President Mahama said a website would also be established to provide information on the project to ensure transparency in the selection and establishment of the venture.

Mr. Yusupha Crookes, Country Director of the World Bank expressed the commitment of the Bank to support Ghana in improving the secondary educational system.

He commended government for signing an agreement which aims to support families adding that the scheme would in the long run improve on the incomes of families.

Mr. Crookes said secondary education improvement is necessary to increase access and provide the students the opportunities to enjoy scholarships to pursue their educational life.

Minister of Education, professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, appealed to the students to take advantage of the programme to learn to harness their educational goals, irrespective of their geographical location.

She said the scholarship grant would be based on merit, performance and accessibility and asked parents to support the ministry to ensure a successful implementation of the programme.