Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the Government will phase out the 'double track' educational system by 2027. The 'double track' system in Ghana, introduced in 2018, was designed to manage overcrowding in Senior High Schools (SHS) as a result of the Free SHS policy. This system splits the student population into two alternating batches, where one group studies while the other is on vacation. The announcement was made during the formal commissioning of a new Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scan at the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC) in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the PET-CT scan is an advanced imaging test that combines metabolic and structural information to diagnose and monitor diseases like cancer accurately. SGMC, which is a leading oncology center in West Africa, was acquired by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in 2020. President Mahama also revealed that the Government had secured a $300 million facility from the World Bank to upgrade 50 senior high schools nationwide. The initiative, named 'Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J),' aims to expand educational access, improve teaching quality, and align high school learning outcomes with real-world job markets.
The President explained that under the STARR-J project, 30 category C Senior High Schools will be upgraded to category B, and 20 category B schools will be upgraded to category A. This strategic investment is not merely about expansion but is fundamentally about promoting equity, improving quality, and widening opportunities for every Ghanaian child.
Furthermore, President Mahama noted that the STARR-J project would operationalize the community day school concept. New E-blocks are to be constructed in urban and pre-urban communities, intended to ease pressure on boarding facilities and expand access to quality secondary education for urban families. Beyond access, the project emphasizes improving quality across all senior high schools, including technical and vocational education and training institutions, ensuring that education aligns with the skills requirements of a modern competitive economy.
The President mentioned that as part of this initiative, all teachers in the nation's secondary schools would benefit from continuous professional development programs designed to enhance their skills and classroom effectiveness. These programs aim to equip teachers with 25th-century competencies such as digital literacy, critical thinking, innovative pedagogical approaches, artificial intelligence integration, and learner-centered teaching.
President Mahama emphasized that the objective is clear: to ensure every teacher is not only qualified but also continuously empowered to deliver relevant, high-quality education that prepares young people not just for examinations but for life, work, innovation, and national development. Through STARR-J, the government aims to lay the foundation for a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready secondary education system in Ghana. By 2027, the double track system in secondary schools is expected to end, giving teachers more time to rest and prepare their teaching materials.