Accra, June 3, GNA - Ghana has only 517 second cycle schools to accommodate thousands of Junior High Schools leavers, who complete Junior High School, Deputy Education Minister, Dr Joseph Samuel Annan told Parliament on Thursday.

Speaking during question time in parliament, he added: "This fiscal year, the Ministry faces huge challenges with the current student populat ion of 457,214 accommodating them in 517 schools."

He said 200,000 new enrollments were expected in September this year. Dr Annan said the Ministry had an elaborate plan to improve and provi de facilities in all Senior High Schools and Technical Institutions to make second cycle education more accessible and attractive. He said every year provision was made to the Ministry's budget includ ing allocation from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). According to him, emphasis was normally place on deprived institution s such as community schools with major infrastructural deficit in the allocation of these resources.

"As the first phase of the programme to meet these requirements, contracts are being awarded for the construction of classroom blocks in 2 14 schools to be followed by the construction of dormitories and other facilities," he said. On why the Karaga District Education Office Complex was not completed , Dr Annan said the project, which was to be completed within eight months,

could not meet its deadline due to sharp increase in the cost of building

materials. As a result, he said, the contract sum of GH¢4200,457.87 was review ed upward to GH¢495,929.19, which the project sponsor, the World Bank, acc epted in March 2010. He said the project would be completed in June 2010. 03 June 10