Education Minister pledges increased investment in basic infrastructure at London Forum

Ghana’s Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced a major policy shift toward boosting investment in educational infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on basic education.

Speaking at the 21st Annual Education World Forum (EWF) in London, Mr. Iddrisu revealed that the government plans to prioritize the elimination of over 5,000 schools currently operating under trees across the country.

“Access to quality education with improved learning outcomes—that is the vision of President Mahama’s government,” he stated. “We aim to invest more in basic education.”

The minister acknowledged that, historically, funding has been skewed toward senior high and tertiary institutions. However, a new direction is being charted to strengthen the foundations of the educational system.

“If you assess our education spending over the past decade, you’ll find a disproportionate focus on free senior high school, often at the expense of basic education,” he said.

He emphasized that the new policy, spearheaded by President Mahama, aligns with constitutional guarantees of free and compulsory basic education.

“Despite these guarantees, we still have thousands of schools lacking basic physical infrastructure,” Mr. Iddrisu noted.

The minister also addressed the nation’s high school dropout rate, underscoring the urgency for inclusive and sustained access to education.

“Roughly 400,000 students drop out each year, and 57 percent of them require targeted support. We must change this and ensure every Ghanaian child has access to continuous, lifelong learning,” he concluded.