President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana’s double-track system in senior high schools will be phased out by 2027 through a major infrastructure expansion programme.
Speaking in Accra on Wednesday, he said the government would upgrade 50 senior high schools using a $300 million World Bank-funded initiative under the STARR-J project. The plan includes elevating 30 Category C schools to Category B status and 20 Category B schools to Category A.
According to President Mahama, the project is aimed at eliminating the double-track system by next year while improving access, quality and equity in secondary education.
He explained that the initiative would not only expand infrastructure but also create better educational opportunities for students across the country.
As part of the reforms, the government also plans to revive the community day school concept by constructing new E-block schools in urban and peri-urban areas to reduce pressure on boarding facilities.
President Mahama said placing more students in schools within their communities would help ease congestion in boarding schools and improve teaching and learning conditions.
He further noted that ending the double-track system would give teachers more time to prepare adequately and enhance academic outcomes.
The programme will also include continuous professional development for teachers, focusing on digital literacy, artificial intelligence integration and modern teaching methods.
Additionally, the President stated that teacher promotions would now be based on merit, competence, performance, experience and years of service rather than the availability of administrative positions.
The double-track system was introduced in 2018 following the implementation of the Free SHS policy to address overcrowding caused by a sharp rise in student enrolment. Although it improved access to secondary education, critics raised concerns about extended periods students spent at home, pressure on teachers and disruptions to family routines.
President Mahama’s administration has prioritised ending the system and has allocated GH¢1 billion through GETFund to complete stalled school infrastructure projects, with the goal of restoring all SHSs to a single-track academic calendar by 2027.
