World Bank Approves $300m to Transform Secondary Education in Ghana

The World Bank has approved US$300 million in financing to support Ghana’s efforts to expand access to quality secondary education and equip young people with the skills required for higher education and the labour market.

The funding, provided through the International Development Association (IDA), will support the Ghana Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project, which seeks to address infrastructure deficits, improve learning outcomes, and strengthen links between education and employment.

The World Bank said Ghana has made significant progress in expanding secondary education over the last two decades, particularly following the introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy in 2017. However, rapid growth in enrolment has placed considerable pressure on infrastructure, staffing and instructional quality.

According to the Bank, increased reliance on the double-track system and long breaks in school attendance have affected continuity in learning and placed additional strain on existing facilities and teachers. It warned that public secondary schools could face a shortfall of more than 850,000 effective seats by 2040 if investments are not accelerated.

World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Robert Taliercio, said the project would help address some of the most pressing challenges confronting the sector.

“This project will help Ghana tackle some of the most urgent constraints in secondary education by expanding learning spaces, improving quality, and strengthening alignment between education, skills, and jobs,” he said.

Mr. Taliercio noted that about 2.2 million students, including learners with disabilities, across nearly 1,000 public secondary schools are expected to benefit from the intervention, with particular attention given to underserved rural and peri-urban communities.

The project will finance the rehabilitation and upgrading of existing schools, construction of new learning facilities, and expansion of access to digital skills and job-oriented programmes, especially within the technical and vocational education sector. It will also support reforms aimed at improving teacher deployment, data management systems, monitoring and accountability.

Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, described the initiative as a major investment in Ghana’s youthful population and a strategic contribution to the country’s long-term human capital development.

“This project is a major investment in Ghana’s growing youthful population and a strategic contribution to the country’s long-term human capital development and global competitiveness,” he said.

Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank, Eunice Yaa Brimfah Ackwerh, said Ghana’s future economic growth would depend largely on whether young people leave school with the skills needed to thrive in an evolving economy.

She noted that the financing would help strengthen learning, expand opportunities and better prepare students for higher education, entrepreneurship and decent work.