Ghana’s education sector is expected to receive increased support from the World Bank as efforts intensify to improve foundational learning and strengthen human capital development across the country.
The Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, Mr Paschal Donohoe, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s education reforms during a visit to the Osu Manhean Basic School in Accra.
The visit formed part of his official trip to Ghana and included an inspection of the implementation of the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), a major education initiative designed to improve learning outcomes in basic schools.
GALOP, a US$174 million programme implemented between 2019 and 2025 with support from the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), focuses on improving teaching and learning conditions in more than 10,000 low-performing basic schools nationwide.
The project provides teacher training, school grants for learning materials, and systems to strengthen accountability in schools, with the goal of improving literacy and numeracy skills among over 2.9 million pupils.
Mr Donohoe emphasised that investment in education was critical to Ghana’s long-term development, noting that strong learning systems were essential for economic growth and national progress.
He commended the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Education and teachers for their efforts to enhance the quality of education and ensure better learning outcomes for children.
Minister of Education Mr Haruna Iddrisu welcomed the continued support of the World Bank, describing the GALOP initiative as a key intervention aimed at strengthening foundational education across the country.
He said the government remained committed to improving access to quality education while working to bring more out-of-school children back into classrooms.
Mr Iddrisu also announced that the World Bank was expected to provide about US$300 million in support of the Secondary Education Transformation for Results project, which aims to strengthen skills development and expand employment opportunities for young people.
At the school level, Head Teacher of Osu Manhean Basic School, Mr Joshua Nortey, expressed appreciation to the World Bank and the Ministry of Education for the programme and other related support provided to schools.
He said the school had experienced significant growth in enrolment, which had increased from about 250 pupils to 425, while academic performance remained strong.
According to him, the school’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results have consistently ranged between 95 and 100 per cent over the past five years.
Mr Nortey expressed hope that the next phase of the GALOP programme would further address infrastructure and resource challenges facing the school and strengthen teaching and learning outcomes.
