The Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will commit GHS 1 billion from the GETFund in 2026 to address longstanding infrastructure deficits in schools across Ghana during a working visit to the Upper East Region.
“This funding will help us deal decisively with infrastructure deficits and ultimately tackle the double-track system,” the minister said, explaining that the initiative is aimed at eliminating the double-track system in senior high schools and improving conditions for teaching and learning nationwide.
As part of the visit, Hon. Iddrisu toured the Zebilla Senior High Technical School to monitor the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and to interact with candidates. He acknowledged the difficulties posed by the Bawku conflict but urged the students not to lose focus.
“We need to say no to war, no to conflict. Education remains our surest bet to fight ignorance and poverty, so grab the opportunity and give it your best.
“It is unfortunate that examiners will not consider the fact that students here did not have the serenity and peace of mind to learn, yet they will be graded equally with their counterparts in peaceful areas”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education
The minister further stressed that education must be safeguarded even in conflict areas. He however added that given the particularly unique challenges that students in such environments face in national examinations, the government must work tirelessly to restore peace to the region.
Symbolic Rejection of Bulletproof Vest
During his stop at Zebilla SHS, Hon. Iddrisu was offered a bulletproof jacket as part of security protocols but chose to decline it. He described the decision as a deliberate gesture to reassure students that academic environments should remain safe spaces free of fear.
“I’m sure my bodyguard is wearing his but I declined to wear mine – not because I don’t value or cherish my life, because I value yours too – but more importantly, it was to send a signal. It does not belong in an academic environment. It does not create the conducive atmosphere needed for learning to thrive”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education
Speaking further, the minister emphasised that his decision was not only personal but also symbolic, meant to discourage the normalisation of heightened security presence in schools.
“We should not encourage even the mere presence of police and military in this learning environment, it is wrong,” Hon. Haruna Iddrisu said, noting that wearing the bulletproof vest would have also justified students asking where theirs was too and what the next step was.
The minister appealed for calm in Bawku, insisting that peace is indispensable for the restoration of education in the conflict-prone enclave. “Lasting peace must be restored in Bawku so that the city can be rebuilt and a serene environment restored,” he said.
Hon. Iddrisu expressed optimism that with peace and adequate infrastructure, schools in Bawku and across the country would be placed on a firmer footing to deliver quality education. He encouraged candidates to persevere, assuring them of the government’s support.
Concluding his visit, he extended President John Dramani Mahama’s best wishes to the WASSCE candidates and reiterated the government’s commitment to providing them with improved facilities in the near future.
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