Ghana is set to receive a US$300 million financing package from the World Bank to support a major transformation of the country’s secondary education system, with the intervention targeting school infrastructure, learning quality, skills development and the transition of young people from education into employment.
The financing was approved by the World Bank in June 2026 under the Ghana Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project. The programme is designed to address some of the structural pressures that have emerged from the rapid expansion of secondary education in Ghana, particularly since the introduction of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy in 2017.
The World Bank says the project will support about 2.2 million students across nearly 1,000 public secondary schools, with particular attention to underserved rural and peri-urban communities and learners with disabilities.
The broader intervention is intended not only to create additional classroom capacity but also to improve the relevance and quality of education as Ghana seeks to prepare young people for higher education, employment and a changing economy.
A response to growing pressure on secondary schools
The expansion of access to secondary education has brought significant gains, but it has also exposed weaknesses in infrastructure and staffing.
According to the World Bank, the increase in enrolment following the introduction of Free SHS has placed considerable pressure on existing school facilities, teachers and learning resources. The resulting constraints contributed to Ghana’s reliance on the double-track system, under which students are divided into groups that attend school at different periods to accommodate limited infrastructure.
The World Bank estimates that, without adequate expansion, Ghana’s public secondary schools could face a shortfall of more than 850,000 effective seats by 2040. The new financing therefore comes at a time when the country is attempting to expand access while simultaneously improving the quality and continuity of learning.
The issue is not simply about constructing more classrooms. The pressure created by growing enrolment affects laboratories, workshops, dormitories, sanitation facilities, teaching resources and the ability of schools to provide students with practical learning opportunities. The STARR-J project is consequently structured around a broader objective: expanding the physical capacity of the secondary education system while making that system more responsive to the skills young people need beyond school.
Ten new secondary schools and rehabilitation of existing schools
The financing is expected to support the construction of 10 new secondary schools in regions identified as having limited access to secondary education.
The schools are expected to be distributed across the Western, Western North, Greater Accra, Volta, Oti, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and Central regions. The geographical spread reflects an attempt to direct new infrastructure towards areas where additional secondary-school capacity is required.
Beyond the new schools, the programme will also provide substantial rehabilitation and upgrading of existing institutions. Recent parliamentary reporting indicates that 150 secondary schools are expected to benefit from rehabilitation and infrastructure improvements under the World Bank-supported programme.
This distinction is important because Ghana’s secondary education challenge cannot be addressed entirely through new construction. Many existing schools require improvements to classrooms, laboratories, workshops, sanitation facilities and other infrastructure necessary for effective teaching and learning.
The combination of new construction and rehabilitation therefore seeks to increase available places while improving the conditions under which students already enrolled in the system learn.
The push to end the double-track system
One of the most significant objectives associated with the financing is Ghana’s effort to phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools.
The system was introduced as a response to the surge in enrolment following Free SHS. While it allowed more students to gain access to secondary education without waiting for the construction of sufficient additional infrastructure, it also resulted in interruptions in school attendance and placed pressure on teachers and facilities.
The World Bank has identified these pressures as important constraints on learning quality. The STARR-J investment is therefore expected to contribute to the government’s objective of creating sufficient capacity to move away from the double-track arrangement.
The government has stated an ambition to eliminate the double-track system by 2027, making the construction and upgrading of schools a particularly important component of the current education agenda.
If implemented effectively, the expansion of infrastructure could allow more students to attend school under a conventional academic calendar, reducing interruptions and improving continuity in teaching and learning.
An investment in Ghana's human capital
The World Bank has described the project as an investment in Ghana’s human capital at a time when the country is seeking stronger links between education and economic growth.
The financing is expected to reach approximately 2.2 million students, while recent parliamentary reporting indicates that the broader intervention could benefit more than 100,000 teachers and about 2,000 school leaders nationwide.
The significance of these numbers extends beyond the education sector. Secondary education determines the quality of the pipeline entering universities, technical institutions and the labour market. Weaknesses at this level can therefore affect productivity, employment prospects and the development of skilled human resources across the economy.
For Ghana, the US$300 million programme represents an opportunity to address some of the infrastructure constraints created by the success of expanding access to secondary education while simultaneously confronting the more difficult question of what students should gain from their years in school.
The challenge now will be translating the financing into visible improvements in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, teacher support, learning outcomes and employment-relevant skills.
If successfully implemented, the STARR-J project could mark an important stage in Ghana’s transition from an education system primarily focused on expanding access to one increasingly focused on access, quality, relevance and results.
The US$300 million, therefore, is more than an infrastructure package. It is a major test of Ghana’s ability to convert increased investment in education into stronger learning outcomes and better opportunities for the young people who will ultimately drive the country’s economic and social development.
About the Author
