The Government has announced plans to construct 600 new basic school facilities across the country to address the long-standing issue of schools operating under trees.
Deputy Minister for Education, Clement Apaak, said the initiative will involve the construction of 200 junior high schools, 200 kindergarten blocks, and 200 primary school blocks to tackle infrastructure deficits driven largely by rapid population growth.
He made the disclosure during a courtesy call by 52 top BECE awardees, noting that the administration inherited more than 5,000 makeshift schools under trees and is taking deliberate steps to eliminate the situation.
Dr Apaak said the commitment, reaffirmed by John Dramani Mahama in the State of the Nation Address and supported by provisions in the 2026 Budget, is aimed at creating safer and more conducive learning environments for pupils nationwide.
“As I speak, there are many parts of the country where we have sufficient populations for schools to start, and because, as a state, we are not paying heed to population growth, the communities themselves come together and start a school, and that is how schools-under-trees come to be.
“We inherited in excess of 5000 such schools under trees, and we are making a concerted effort to address this phenomenon. We are going to be constructing 200 JHS, 200 KGs, and 200 primary school blocks,” he said.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
