Ghana’s Minister of Education has formally asked the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to provide 250 million Ghanaian cedis this year to expand the infrastructure of the country's most sought-after senior high schools, aiming to tackle overcrowding generated by the Free SHS (free senior high school) programme.
What the request covers
The cabinet-level plan targets improvements at so-called Category A institutions, where demand routinely outstrips capacity during the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) admissions process. The minister named a group of prominent schools that would benefit from the funding, including Achimota School, Wesley Girls' High School, Wesley College, Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC), Prempeh College and Holy Child.
Ministry officials have described the intended use of funds as primarily for the construction of additional classrooms and student accommodation. In some cases the plan envisages building one male and one female dormitory alongside classroom blocks to increase intake capacity.
How this fits with other programmes
The minister said other infrastructure demands will be addressed under a broader project supported by the World Bank. Separately, the president has been reported to be preparing to launch a $300 million programme to develop model day schools in designated districts, following completion of procurement procedures.
- Immediate funding request: 250 million cedis from GETFund.
- Target beneficiaries: leading Category A senior high schools with chronic overcrowding.
- Complementary measures: World Bank-backed infrastructure programme and a proposed $300m model day school project.
Longer-term and community-level measures
In addition to expansions of national flagship schools, the minister expressed support for strengthening community-level secondary education as a longer-term strategy to relieve pressure on elite urban institutions. The president has reportedly instructed the development of model day schools in districts such as Nima and Ayawaso. The ministry is also exploring establishment of special education institutions in Ho and Sunyani, with a possible project for Kintampo under consideration.
| Planned works | Examples of target schools |
|---|---|
| Classroom construction | Achimota, PRESEC, Prempeh College, Wesley Girls' |
| Dormitories (male and female) | Achimota, Wesley Girls', Holy Child (as discussed) |
| Model day school development | Nima, Ayawaso (districts) |
Implications for students, parents and the admissions system
The proposed capital injection is intended to ease the acute crowding that affects the CSSPS placement outcomes when more pupils seek places than there are places available at the most popular schools. If realised, extra classrooms and dormitory space would allow a larger intake at Category A schools and reduce the number of disappointed applicants during the annual placement cycle.
However, the minister indicated that procurement and implementation processes remain under way for the various projects. The GETFund administrator has been consulted, but no detailed timetable for construction or opening of additional facilities has been published by the ministry. Parents and prospective students should therefore monitor official ministry communications and the CSSPS announcements for updates on how capacity changes may affect future admissions rounds.
Taken together, the short-term request to GETFund and the medium-term World Bank and presidential initiatives point to a two-pronged approach: expand capacity at high-demand national schools while investing in community and special education provision to distribute opportunities more widely.
