President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the newly completed E-Block at Paga Senior High School (SHS) in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour.
The commissioning forms part of the government’s efforts to improve access to quality education in Ghana, particularly at the secondary school level.
Mahama Promises Paga SHS New Facilities
During the ceremony, President Mahama assured the Paga community that the government will provide the school with a 60-seater school bus, a boys’ dormitory, a girls’ dormitory and a modern dining hall.
The President also highlighted improvements in the Free SHS programme, particularly in the provision of meals for students. He said the government had taken steps to address previous challenges with feeding, resulting in improvements in both the quantity and quality of food served to students.
According to President Mahama, the government has also established dedicated and continuous funding for the Free Senior High School programme, which he said would help improve the quality of secondary education across the country.
Government Targets End of Double-Track System by 2027
President Mahama explained that the E-Block programme was introduced during his first term to expand secondary school infrastructure and accommodate the growing number of students entering SHS under the Free SHS policy.
He said the government had initially planned to accelerate the construction of 200 new E-Blocks to increase classroom capacity and prevent overcrowding in senior high schools.
However, he said the expansion programme was not continued, contributing to the introduction of the double-track system in Ghana’s secondary schools.
President Mahama assured Ghanaians that the government is working to end the double-track system by 2027, allowing all SHS students to attend school and go on vacation at the same time.
He said ending the double-track system would also restore adequate teacher-student contact hours, which he identified as an important factor in improving academic performance and outcomes in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
GH¢3 Billion Investment in Secondary Education
The President disclosed that the government, through the Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) Project, will invest GH¢3 billion in expanding secondary education infrastructure.
The investment is expected to address overcrowding in senior high schools and support the government’s plan to eliminate the double-track system.
President Mahama also announced plans to construct 30 additional secondary schools across Ghana in the next budget, with priority given to areas experiencing high population growth and pressure on existing educational facilities.
Education Minister Highlights Free SHS Reforms
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the government had reviewed the Free SHS programme and taken significant measures to protect, improve and expand access to secondary education.
The latest investments in school infrastructure, student welfare and education funding form part of the government’s broader Resetting Ghana Agenda aimed at strengthening Ghana’s education system and creating better opportunities for young people.
Source: newsthemegh.com