President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to construct 600 new classroom blocks across the country as part of a renewed focus on strengthening basic education.

Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Friday, 27 February, the President reaffirmed that basic education remains the foundation of Ghana’s development.

“Mr Speaker, basic education remains the critical entry point into our education system,” he said.

Ending ‘Schools Under Trees’

Addressing the long-standing issue of pupils studying under trees due to inadequate infrastructure, President Mahama outlined what he described as a bold intervention for the 2026 financial year.

“In response to the persisting challenge of schools under trees, this Government has programmed a bold and decisive intervention for the 2026 financial year,” he stated.

The intervention includes:

200 kindergarten blocks

200 primary school blocks

200 junior high school blocks

“I am further pleased to inform this House that adequate allocation has been made in the 2026 budget,” he added.

Policy Shift Towards Basic Education

President Mahama emphasised that foundational skills are acquired at the basic level.

“It is at this level that children acquire foundational literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, upon which all future learning depends,” he told the House.

He announced a major policy shift to rebalance education investment in favour of basic education.

“Government understands the importance of the basic sector and is therefore undertaking a major policy shift to rebalance our education investments in favour of basic education,” he said.

As part of this shift, the Standards-Based Curriculum from Kindergarten to Primary Six is under review to reflect technological advancements.

“The Standards-Based Curriculum for Kindergarten to Primary 6 is currently under review to incorporate robotics, coding, and the responsible integration of generative artificial intelligence,” he revealed.

He added that artificial intelligence education would be introduced in an age-appropriate and developmentally sensitive manner, with emphasis on ethical use, digital responsibility, critical thinking, and human values.

Clearing Arrears

The President also announced that the government has cleared outstanding payments owed to public basic schools.

“The Government has fully cleared all outstanding capitation grant arrears owed to public basic schools,” he said.

He further confirmed that all arrears relating to Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) registration subsidies have been settled.

“We have cleared all outstanding arrears of BECE examination registration subsidies due to the West African Examinations Council. The legacy debts to the West African Examinations Council have all been cleared,” he told Parliament.

The measures, President Mahama noted, form part of a broader effort to strengthen the foundations of Ghana’s education system and ensure equitable access to quality basic education nationwide.