Accra, July 6, GNA- Education Minister, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, on Wednesday said a total of five thousand schools hold classes under trees across the country.

"The ministry in its efforts to eradicate schools under trees in the country has collated a list of such schools in the country for action," he said.

She said the government awarded a contract for the construction of permanent classroom blocks for 1,305 under tree schools under the 'No Under Tree Projects' across the country adding, these projects were at various stages of completion.

She indicated that the projects were being funded from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the rest from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) resources.

Answering questions on the floor of Parliament, the minister said her ministry had elaborate plans to provide facilities to the Senior High Schools (SHS) to accommodate the fourth year group.

The response was in response to a question posed by Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, NPP member for Asante Akim North, who wanted to know government's plans of accommodating the fourth year students of the S.H S. Mrs Iddrisu said as the first phase of the programme to meet these requirements, contracts had been warded for the construction of classroom blocks in 214 schools.

She noted that 137 SHSs would benefit from quick build structures and arrangements had been made to contract the Ghana Armed Forces to provide 6 units classroom blocks in 21 SHS.

The ministry, she stated, had also awarded contracts for the construction of the 55 No 2-Storey dormitory blocks as the first phase of the provision of dormitory blocks adding, all these structures would be provided with furniture.