By: Sarah Baafi
President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to phase out Ghana’s double-track system in secondary schools by the end of 2027, following the approval of a $300 million World Bank facility to support the expansion of school infrastructure.
The funding, he said, would be used to expand facilities in schools that continue to operate the double-track system, allowing more students to attend school at the same time.
“We’ve just approved another World Bank facility of 300 million that is to end the double-track system.”
President Mahama said the government’s priority was to provide enough infrastructure to ensure students no longer had to be divided into separate tracks due to limited facilities.
“And so 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 said.
As part of the intervention, the government will also construct 16 new secondary schools to increase capacity and reduce 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,” he said.
The President expressed optimism that the infrastructure expansion would allow the government to fully abolish the double-track system by the end of 2027.
“And we hope that by the end of 2027, no Ghanaian child should be on a double-track system,” he said.
“Everybody goes to school at the same time, studies and closes at the same time.”
According to President Mahama, ending the system would give teachers and students more time together in the classroom and could contribute to improved academic outcomes.
“We believe that will increase the contact hours between the teachers and the students and it will help to improve their performance when eventually they write the WASSCE exam,” he said.
President Mahama made the announcement at Han Senior High School in the Upper West Region while inspecting ongoing GETFund projects at the school as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour.
He also disclosed plans to upgrade Han Senior High School to a boarding institution, pointing to the difficulties students in rural communities face due to the wide geographical areas served by some schools.
He directed that separate dormitories for boys and girls be constructed as part of the process.
“So Headmaster, I mean, if we’re not going to give you boarding status, we’ll start building a boys and girls dormitory,” he said.
He added that the school would be converted into a boarding institution after the ongoing construction works are completed.
