Govt to undertake major SHS infrastructure expansion —Minister
The government is set to undertake a major expansion and renovation of Senior High School (SHS) infrastructure across the country to provide decent accommodation for students and increase enrolment.
The initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen the education system and ensure that increasing enrolment does not compromise the quality of teaching and learning.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, who announced this, indicated that the programme would commence in July this year with a large-scale renovation of 150 secondary schools nationwide.
“I am happy to announce that under President Mahama’s review of the infrastructure model of free senior high school, we will, from July this year, undertake a massive renovation of 150 secondary schools across the country,” he said.
He added that 13 technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions would also undergo renovation, while 10 new TVET schools would be constructed to expand access to skills-based education and align training with the demands of the job market.
He indicated that about 50 Senior High Schools would also benefit from a $300 million World Bank-funded upgrading project.
Inauguration
Mr Iddrisu was speaking at the inauguration of a new office complex for the National Teaching Council (NTC) in Tamale.
The facility includes offices, a conference hall, a power house and other auxiliary facilities to support the professional development and regulation of teachers.
In his remarks, the minister lauded the NTC for establishing the office and said it would go a long way to enhance their operations in the area.
He further charged the NTC to improve efforts to promote discipline and professionalism within the teaching profession.
Teacher professionalism
For his part, the Board Chairman of the NTC, Kwami Alorvi, said the new office complex would strengthen teacher professionalism and promote quality education delivery nationwide.
He explained that the facility would serve as a regional hub for teacher licensing, professional development and the coordination of standards relating to teacher performance and ethics.
“The establishment of these regional offices represents our commitment to bringing NTC services closer to teachers, stakeholders and institutions in the northern sector of the country,” he said.
Mr Alorvi added that the dedication of teachers and education stakeholders continues to inspire efforts towards maintaining teaching as a respected and active profession.
The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Alhassan Alidu Junior, pledged his outfit’s commitment to supporting the NTC in the execution of its mandate.
Eduwatch
Advocacy organisation, the African Education Watch, had called for expedited actions on ongoing expansion of boarding capacity in existing senior high schools (SHSs) and completion of new schools under construction ahead of the Computerised School Selection and Placement (CSSPS) in August this year.
It said to restore the 92 per cent transition efficiency benchmark achieved in 2024, the Ministry of Education must urgently generate an estimated additional 72,000 effective admission spaces beyond the 2025 capacity through a coordinated capacity expansion framework comprising accelerated infrastructure development, expedited completion of ongoing projects, strategic utilisation of excess private sector capacity and algorithmic recalibration of the CSSPS to improve placement efficiency beyond 90 per cent.
