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 secondary education. The loan, already approved by the World Bank in June 2026, will fund the Ghana Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project.
The project aims to improve infrastructure in public secondary schools, upgrade Grade C schools to Grade B and Grade B schools to Grade A, and expand access to quality education. It will also strengthen instruction in core subjects, digital skills, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to better align with labor market needs.
This approval marks a major step in addressing infrastructure deficits that have grown since the introduction of Free Senior High School (FSHS) in 2017. Without new investment, public secondary schools are projected to face a shortfall of more than 850,000 effective seats by 2040.
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What the STARR-J Project Covers
The World Bank approved IDA financing of $300 million on June 16, 2026, for the STARR-J Project. The project will support 2.2 million students across nearly 1,000 public secondary schools, with a strong focus on underserved rural and peri-urban communities.
Targeted investments include:
- Rehabilitation, upgrading, and new construction of learning spaces
- Strengthening instruction in core subjects, digital skills, and job-relevant programs, especially in TVET
- Reforms to improve subject teacher deployment, data systems, monitoring, and accountability
According to the World Bank, the project is implemented by the Ministry of Education and is part of broader efforts to strengthen human capital and expand pathways to productive employment in Ghana.
Parliamentary Debate and Approval
During the parliamentary debate on July 21, 2026, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga described the facility as the first loan under the second Mahama-led government. He stressed that the funds would be invested in secondary school infrastructure to drive quality education.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu assured the House that the loan would be implemented with strict adherence to value-for-money principles.
The Minority Caucus, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued that the facility was intended to fund the Free Senior High School policy. Afenyo-Markin recalled that the previous NPP administration was criticized by the then-opposition NDC for introducing FSHS. He also noted that this was not the government’s first loan, 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.
Why This Matters for Education and Jobs
Ghana has made considerable progress in expanding access to secondary education, but enrollment has outpaced infrastructure and teacher capacity. The double-track system, introduced to manage overcrowding, has led to long breaks in school attendance and discontinuity in learning.
At the same time, many students leave school without the practical, digital, and transferable skills needed for employment. The World Bank’s Division Director for Ghana, Robert Taliercio, said the project will help tackle urgent constraints by expanding learning spaces, improving quality, and strengthening alignment between education, skills, and jobs.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu called the project a major investment in Ghana’s youthful population and a strategic contribution to long-term human capital development and global competitiveness.
Eunice Yaa Brimfah Ackwerh, Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank, noted that Ghana’s future growth depends on whether today’s young people leave school with the basic and intermediate skills to succeed in a changing economy.
Sources
- Parliament approves US$300m loan facility for secondary education infrastructure transformation | Ghana News Agency
- World Bank Approves US$300 Million to Help Ghana Strengthen Secondary Education and Skills Development
