Government says it has estimated at least five million Ghana cedis to be pumped into the construction of the first batch of the new Community Day Senior High Schools.
Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who revealed this on Peace FM‘s Flagship programme “Kokrokoo“, also disclosed that the construction of the fifty (50) new Community Day Senior High Schools will range between “5 and 6.5 million new Ghana cedis” per school.
According to him, the 50 SHS will consist of modern facilities and possibly be upgraded from day to boarding as the project progresses.
Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of the morning show on Peace FM, Hon. Ablakwa disclosed that government has sourced funds from GETFUND, World Bank and other monetary avenues to begin the first phase of the project.
The World Bank, he said, has promised to give the Mahama administration “not less than 150 million dollars” to construct the schools for the benefit of Ghanaians.
He further explained that the building of the schools is not on yearly basis but will be undertaken as soon as government sources adequate funding.
“We’re not working with 50 every year. What we’re working with every year is that once we secure funding, we will take off. Now, we’re taking off with the first 50…Nothing stops us from even beginning the 200 this year if we find the money and we have the ability to do it. So, I just want to assure the good people of Ghana that we’re working hard on the funding mechanisms and getting the resources, as and when we get the resources, we will roll out the construction.”
As part of plans by government to accelerate work on the fifty schools, the Deputy Education Minister noted that government has given an ultimatum of approximately 18 months for the completion of the schools by the contractors.
By 2015, CORSAR Construction Company, one of the contractors; he added is mandated to complete its work,.
The construction of the first batch of the Senior High Schools is expected to be completed by August 2015.
“By August 2015, these schools are supposed to be ready (the first batch) and September 2015, when the new academic year begins and we roll out the progressive introduction of free SHS, these schools are expected to be ready,” he stated.