World Bank Approves $300m for Ghana to End Double-Track by 2027
The Ministry of Education has announced that the Board of the World Bank has approved a US$300 million financing package to support the Government of Ghana in implementing the Transformative Secondary Education for Access, Results and Relevance for Jobs (STARR-J) Project.
The STARR-J Project is designed as a major intervention to strengthen Ghana’s secondary education system by expanding access, improving the quality and relevance of teaching, and addressing critical infrastructure deficits that emerged following the rollout of Free Senior High School education.
A central objective of the project is to support the government’s commitment to ending the double-track system in Senior High Schools nationwide.
Through targeted investments in educational infrastructure, improved learning conditions and enhanced system efficiency, the government expects that by 2027, no secondary school in Ghana will be operating under the double-track calendar.
Speaking on the significance of the approval, Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, said the project represents a major investment in Ghana’s growing youthful population and a strategic contribution to long-term human capital development and global competitiveness.
He noted that STARR-J will expand learning opportunities, improve school conditions, better align secondary education with skills demanded by the labour market, and respond directly to infrastructure pressures linked to expanded access under Free SHS.
The Ministry of Education expressed appreciation to World Bank Country Director Robert Taliercio O’Brien, the World Bank education team, and the Ministry of Finance, led by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, for their continued support toward transforming Ghana’s secondary education sector.
According to the Ministry, STARR-J reaffirms the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to quality secondary education and equipping Ghanaian students with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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