The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will release GH₵1 billion from the GETFund in 2026 to address critical infrastructure challenges facing schools across the country.

According to him, the investment is aimed at tackling long-standing infrastructure deficits and ultimately phasing out the double-track system in senior high schools.

“This funding will help us deal decisively with infrastructure deficits and ultimately tackle the double-track system,” the minister said during a working visit to the Upper East Region.

As part of the visit, he stopped at the Zebilla Senior High Technical School to interact with WASSCE candidates and assess the impact of the Bawku conflict on academic activities.

The minister urged the students to remain focused on their studies despite the difficult environment. “We need to say no to war, no to conflict. Education remains our surest bet to fight ignorance and poverty, so grab the opportunity and give it your best,” he said.

In a symbolic move, he declined to wear a bulletproof vest offered to him, explaining: “I refused to put it on because a bulletproof jacket does not belong in an academic environment. It does not create the conducive atmosphere needed for learning to thrive.”

Appealing for calm in Bawku, he stressed that peace is necessary to create the right environment for teaching and learning. “Lasting peace must be restored in Bawku so that the city can be rebuilt and a serene environment for education restored,” he noted.

The minister also highlighted the challenges faced by students in conflict areas, pointing out that their disadvantaged conditions are not considered during examinations.

“It is unfortunate that examiners will not consider the fact that students here did not have the serenity and peace of mind to learn, yet they will be graded equally with their counterparts in peaceful areas,” he said.