President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to construct 16 new senior high schools as part of efforts to reduce congestion in existing schools and phase out the double-track system by the end of 2027.
The President disclosed this on September 11 during an inspection of ongoing Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) projects at HAN Senior High School.
He said the government had secured a newly approved $300 million World Bank facility to support the expansion of infrastructure in schools still operating under the double-track system.
“We just approved another World Bank facility of 300 million. That is to end the double-track system,” President Mahama said.
According to him, schools currently operating under the arrangement will have their infrastructure expanded to enable all students to attend classes at the same time.
“For the schools that are still running double-track, we’re going to expand the facility so that all the children can go to school at the same time,” he explained.
The government will also construct 16 new senior high schools under the programme to create additional space and ease pressure on existing institutions.
“Under that project too, we’re building 16 brand-new secondary schools so that we can ease the congestion in the existing schools,” the President said.
President Mahama expressed optimism that the projects would be completed by the end of 2027, bringing an end to the double-track system.
“And so these projects will go on, and we hope that by the end of 2027, no Ghanaian child should be on a double-track system,” he stated.
He said ending the system would allow students to follow a common academic calendar, with all learners attending school and going on vacation at the same time.
The President added that the move would also increase contact hours between teachers and students, which he believes could improve academic performance, particularly in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
He said the planned investment in school infrastructure would not only expand access to secondary education but also create a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
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