By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, July 21, GNA – Parliament on Tuesday approved a $300 million loan facility between the Government of Ghana and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group, to support the Secondary Education Transformation and Access Programme.
The facility is aimed at improving the quality of infrastructure and access in secondary schools, with a focus on upgrading Grade C schools to Grade B and Grade B schools to Grade A.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader agenda to enhance quality education and expand opportunities for students nationwide.
During the debate on the matter, Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader, described the loan facility as the first facility under the second Mahama-led government, stressing that it would be invested in secondary school infrastructure to drive quality education.
He said the transformation agenda was central to the government’s commitment to education reforms.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, assured the House that the loan would be implemented with strict adherence to value-for-money principles.
The Minority Caucus, however, argued that the facility was intended to fund the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, recalled that the previous New Patriotic Party administration was vilified by the then opposition National Democratic Congress for introducing the FSHS policy.
He further noted that it was not the first loan facility by the government, citing a $360 million post-COVID-19 support loan secured in July 2025.
The approval underscores the government’s commitment to strengthening secondary education infrastructure and addressing disparities in school quality across the country.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Reporter’s email: [email protected]