The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has earmarked an estimated GH¢410 million to complete stalled infrastructure projects across the country’s colleges of education, in a bold move to address longstanding deficits in hostel and lecture facilities.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, during the inauguration of governing councils for seven colleges of education in Sunyani last Monday.
According to the Minister, the renewed funding commitment follows the uncapping of GETFund, which now allows for a steady flow of resources to support educational infrastructure.
“In the past, only nine of the hostel facilities being built saw significant progress nearing completion, 11 had made steady progress, and 25 were barely seeing any work. That won’t be the case now,” Mr. Iddrisu assured.
Infrastructure Revival
In 2023, the government initiated the construction of 45 hostel facilities across 46 colleges of education, but progress stalled due to funding constraints.
With GETFund now uncapped, Mr. Iddrisu revealed that contracts for stalled projects have been terminated and will be re-awarded to reflect realistic value and encourage contractors to return to site.
The colleges whose boards were inaugurated include:
- Tamale College of Education
- Bagabaga College of Education
- Atebubu College of Education
- Gambaga College of Education
- EP College of Education, Bimbilla
- Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Wa
- McCoy College of Education, Nadowli
Logistics & Safety
The Minister acknowledged critical challenges facing colleges, including inadequate hostels, limited lecture halls, and ageing vehicles. He disclosed that GETFund has triggered a procurement process to replace old vehicles, including institutional buses, to enhance safety and mobility.
“Using those old ones means we are exposing you to risk on the roads. You will be given priority when GETFund acquires the vehicles,” he said.
Expansion & Absorption
Ghana now boasts 48 public colleges of education, with three newly added under the current administration:
- Savannah College of Education, Damongo
- Ghana Muslim Mission College of Education, Beposo
- Christ the Teacher College of Education, Nsoko
Mr. Iddrisu confirmed that a directive has been issued to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to finalise the absorption of these institutions into the public system.
He also urged governing councils to collaborate with GTEC to ensure smooth leadership transitions, especially in colleges where principals have retired.
Scholarships & Reform
Touching on scholarships, the Minister called for the institutionalisation of a legal framework to eliminate corruption, nepotism, and manipulation in the award process.
“It’s real that there is corruption and nepotism in the award of scholarships in Ghana. We should stop pretending and use the legal framework to correct it,” he stated.
STEM & Quality Education
Mr. Iddrisu concluded by encouraging colleges to prioritise Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their academic offerings, emphasising its importance in securing Ghana’s future.
“Let us work together to produce students of quality, relevance, and higher education standards,” he urged.
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