Ghana seeks $100m World Bank financing to construct new senior high schools

The Ghana government is asking for a $100 million World Bank financing to construct new senior high schools across 23 district assemblies, a document obtained by ghanabusinessnews.com has shown.

It is to increase access and improve equity and quality of secondary education in Ghana, according to the project document titled “Ghana Secondary Education Improvement Project”.
Prepared October 28, 2013, the document reads “the proposed project would support senior secondary education through a five-year $100 million Investment Project Financing (IPF) instrument using a results-based-lending approach.”

The document, cited on the World Bank website indicated that the cost of building space for one additional student roughly equals the costs of providing the wages for the teachers and other services.

“Calculations for 2013 put the estimated annual unit cost per student at around GH¢600,” it said.

Rehabilitation of existing secondary school structures in under-served areas will be executed under the project as well as expansion of classrooms, laboratory, library and workshops.

The World Bank is expected to undertake an appraisal of the project on March 18, 2014.

The Board of the Bank is also expected to meet May 20, 2014 to approve the funds for the project.

By Ekow Quandzie