A total of 2,731 infrastructure projects have been completed by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) between 2019 and 2023, according to Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu, the Administrator of the Fund.
These projects include 1,430 at the basic school level, 1,144 at the Senior High School level, and 138 at the tertiary level.
In addition to that, 15 E-blocks initiated by the previous administration, two Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) centers, and two model schools have also been completed.
Dr. Boadu, who disclosed this at a stakeholder forum organized by the fund in Accra yesterday, said the completed projects also included what had become known as the legacy projects initiated by previous governments.
He said about GH¢800,000,000 had so far been paid to contractors who were awarded these projects, constituting about 96 percent of the cost.
The forum had the theme: “Innovation: A must to achieving positive outcomes” and was attended by academia, civil society organizations, students, and the media.
Dr. Boadu said the fund had deployed innovation in the management of its operations, which has brought in a lot more efficiency.
On his part, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, said education and infrastructure were means of promoting a quality education system that would transform teaching and learning in schools, and also equip students for the job market.
He said that students needed a better learning environment to produce better results, which would give them the opportunities to upgrade their education.
Dr. Adutwum said GETFUND, through the Ministry of Education, had been prioritizing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and had built some STEM schools and centers to encourage and equip students.
“This is going to enable us to increase the percentage of students enrolled in STEM-related courses, as compared to those pursuing humanities programmes. The GETFUND scholarship program has also focused on STEM education, ensuring that there is equity for all students pursuing various programs for the betterment of our country,” he said.
Dr. Adutwum said despite the GETFUND scholarship and infrastructure programs, the government, through the Ministry of Education, is also embarking on a school-building initiative with funding from international partners.
He noted that the government, through the Kuwait fund, is building three STEM high schools in the country, while the Arab Development Bank is also assisting the government with infrastructure development projects in some senior high schools.