The World Bank has approved a US$300 million financing package under the International Development Association (IDA) to support Ghana’s efforts to improve access to quality secondary education and better prepare young people for higher education and employment opportunities.
The funding will be channeled through the Ghana Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project, a major initiative aimed at addressing persistent challenges within the country’s secondary education sector while equipping students with the skills needed in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Over the years, Ghana has recorded significant gains in expanding access to secondary education. However, the rapid growth in student enrollment, particularly following the introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policies in 2017, has placed considerable strain on existing educational infrastructure and teaching resources.
The surge in enrollment has led to overcrowding in schools, increased pressure on teachers, and greater dependence on the double-track system, which has resulted in interruptions to learning and concerns about educational quality. Additionally, many graduates, especially those pursuing technical and vocational pathways, continue to leave school without the practical, digital, and transferable skills required by today’s job market. Current projections indicate that public secondary schools could face a deficit of more than 850,000 effective student spaces by 2040 if significant investments are not made.
Speaking on the approval, 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 secondary education in Ghana.
According to him, the initiative will expand educational infrastructure, improve teaching and learning outcomes, and strengthen the connection between education, skills acquisition, and employment opportunities.
He noted that approximately 2.2 million students, including learners living with disabilities, are expected to benefit from the project across nearly 1,000 public secondary schools nationwide, with particular attention given to underserved rural and peri-urban communities.
The STARR-J Project will support the rehabilitation and upgrading of existing school facilities while also financing the construction of new infrastructure to create additional learning spaces. It will further enhance the teaching of core academic subjects, promote digital literacy, and expand access to programmes that are more responsive to labour market demands, particularly within the technical and vocational education sector.
Beyond infrastructure and curriculum improvements, the project will support reforms aimed at strengthening teacher deployment, improving education data systems, enhancing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and promoting greater accountability and communication within the education sector. These measures are expected to contribute to a more resilient and efficient secondary education system.
The initiative, which will be implemented by the Ministry of Education, forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to strengthen human capital development and create more pathways to productive employment for young people.
Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, described the project as a significant investment in Ghana’s youthful population and a critical step towards advancing the country’s long-term development agenda.
He emphasized that the intervention would not only improve school infrastructure and learning conditions but also ensure that secondary education becomes more closely aligned with the skills and competencies required by employers. He added that the project would help address the infrastructure challenges that have emerged as a result of expanded access to free secondary education.
Senior Education Specialist, Eunice Yaa Brimfah Ackwerh, also underscored the importance of equipping Ghana’s youth with relevant skills for the future.
She noted that Ghana’s economic growth and competitiveness will largely depend on whether young people are able to acquire the foundational and intermediate-level skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy. The new financing, she said, will help broaden access to secondary education, improve learning outcomes, and prepare more students for higher education, entrepreneurship, and meaningful employment.
