According to him, education was the key to addressing poverty and building the capacity of the youth for the world of work and human resource needs of the country.

He made the pledge during a site visit to some Ghana Learning and Accountability Outcomes Project (GALOP) Schools to ascertain the progress of the implementation of the project.

The GALOP, a $335.83- million project funded by the World Bank, aims to improve the quality of education in low performing basic schools and to strengthen educa­tion sector equity and accountabili­ty in Ghana.

As part of the project, teachers are supported to develop teaching and learning materials to enhance teaching and learning.

The visit took the World Bank boss to St Thomas Presbyterian Primary School (Osu) and Kinder­garten and Father Campbell SVD Centre at Weija.

Mr Taliercio said the education was critical to Ghana’s socio-eco­nomic development, adding that GALOP was helping to prepare the pupils and building the critical skills needed for the development of the country.

Mr Taliercio also stated that the World Bank initially released $218.7 million for the project expected to close in 2026.

Furthermore, he noted that in view of the success of the pro­gramme, the World Bank had allo­cated additional $117 million grant to help expand the programme to all basic schools in the country.

“The additional funding would help the Ministry of Education to scale up interventions from 10,000 low performing schools to all primary schools and kindergartens in Ghana,” he stated.

That, he said, had brought total disbursement to $335.83 million.

Mr Taliercio encouraged the pu­pils to study hard to excel in your education.

“I am happy to be with you here. Study hard to prepare for your future, family and that of the country,” the World Bank Boss stated.

At the Father Campbell SVD Foundation, Mr Taliercio said the Mission of the Foundation aligned with that of the World Bank, to help eliminate poverty in the world.

Mr Taliercio commended the managers of the Foundation for the hard work to reform the street children, and pledged the Bank’s commitment to continue to sup­port the Foundation.

The Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, lauded the World Bank for its commitment to continue to supporting education in the country.

He mentioned that foundational numeracy was key to the develop­ment of children, saying that as part of the GALOP, there would be a national standardised test for pupils from class one to J.H.S 2 this year.

The Founder of the Father Campbell SVD Foundation, Rev­erend Father Andrew Campbell, said he started the foundation in 2022 to take street children out of the street and provide them with employable skills.

He underlined that the Foun­dation was currently supporting 40 street children with education and vocational skills, entreating the well-to-do to support and share with the poor needy in society.

Father Campbell lauded the World Bank for the support and appealed to public spirited individ­uals and corporate organisation to come to the aid of Foundation in order to procure a vehicle to help pickup street children from the street.