Haruna Iddrisu unveils GH¢300m education boost under Mahama’s 2026 agenda

The Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will inject GH¢300 million into Ghana’s education sector as part of President John Dramani Mahama’s “Resetting Agenda” for 2026, a bold plan aimed at improving quality, access, and infrastructure across all levels of education.

Speaking at the launch of the book “Reconceptualising the Learning Crisis in Africa: Multi-dimensional Pedagogies of Accelerated Learning Programmes” by Professor Kwame Akyeampong and Dr. Sean Higgins, Hon. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing long-standing challenges in education through investment, reforms, and stronger community participation.

“There are many children in school, that’s progress. But we must now focus on improving community involvement and the quality of learning. That’s why we are reintroducing Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). The state must also do more to adequately finance education,” he said.

The Minister acknowledged that Ghana’s education system faces gaps across all levels, from basic to tertiary, and said the new investment would focus on expanding infrastructure, upgrading facilities, and improving teaching and learning conditions.

“We need resources to expand infrastructure, additional dormitories, and additional laboratories. By 2026, under President Mahama’s resetting agenda, we are looking at spending some 300 million Ghana cedis to address structural challenges that affect the delivery and quality of education,” he noted.

As part of the reform drive, Hon. Iddrisu announced plans to upgrade 10 Category C schools to Category B, 10 Category B schools to Category A, and improve infrastructure and quality in top-tier schools to boost access and performance.

The Minister also addressed growing public concern over the Computerised School Placement System (CSSPS), describing it as “largely effective” but acknowledging that some fairness issues persist.

“It’s not to suggest that it did not work at all. Many students got their first choices based on merit, but in a few isolated cases, a student with an aggregate of six missed out while another with a higher aggregate got in. That raises questions of fairness.”

He added that the Ministry is finalising the Finishing Schools Initiative, set for completion next year, to further expand access and improve the quality of education nationwide.

Hon. Iddrisu concluded by emphasizing that education remains at the heart of Ghana’s transformation agenda.

“The moral crisis in education is real, but we are determined to fix it through reform, inclusion, and serious investment.”

By: Bawa Musah

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