The World Bank has approved a $300 million financing package to support Ghana’s ambitious plan to phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools by 2027, the Ministry of Education has announced.

The approval, granted by the World Bank’s Board, paves the way for the Transformative Secondary Education for Access, Results and Relevance for Jobs (STARR-J) Project, a major intervention designed to address infrastructure deficits and improve the quality of secondary education across the country.

The project comes as a direct response to challenges arising from the expansion of the Free Senior High School policy, which significantly increased enrolment and necessitated the double-track system to manage overcrowding.

A key objective of the STARR-J Project is to provide targeted investments in educational infrastructure, improved learning conditions, and enhanced system efficiency to allow for a return to a single-track academic calendar.

Speaking on the significance of the development, the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, described the project as a strategic contribution to Ghana’s long-term human capital development.

“This project is a major investment in Ghana’s growing youthful population and a strategic contribution to the country’s long-term human capital development and global competitiveness,” the Minister stated.

He added that the funding will help expand learning opportunities, improve school conditions, and better align secondary education with the skills demanded by the labour market, while also responding to the infrastructure deficit associated with expanded access to Free Secondary Education.

The Ministry of Education expressed appreciation to the 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 towards the transformation of the education sector.

The STARR-J Project reaffirms the Government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to quality secondary education and equipping Ghanaian students with the knowledge and skills required to compete in the global economy.