Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has inspected the ongoing construction works on five Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) funded projects at Han Senior High School (SHS) as part of his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region. The primary purpose of the President's tour is to bring governance closer to the grassroots, inspect ongoing infrastructure projects, and directly engage citizens and traditional leaders on national development priorities.
According to Ghana News Agency, President Mahama mentioned that the school, established several years ago as a Community Day Senior High School, is set to be converted into a boarding school. He explained that the government plans to apply the community day school concept in areas with high population density, where students can commute easily from home. However, for schools in rural areas with large catchment zones, the government aims to establish boarding facilities, allowing students to reside on campus.
President Mahama assured that once the contractors complete the necessary projects, Han SHS will be officially redesignated as a boarding school, enabling them to admit boarding students. He emphasized that these projects are financed through GETFund, supported by the contributions of Ghanaian taxpayers. Additionally, he announced the approval of a new $300 million World Bank facility intended to eliminate the double-track system in schools.
The President also highlighted plans for expanding facilities in schools still operating under the double-track system, ensuring that all students can attend concurrently. Furthermore, he revealed the construction of 16 new senior high schools to alleviate congestion in existing institutions. The government aims to ensure that by the end of 2027, no Ghanaian child will remain on the double-track system, thereby enhancing contact hours between teachers and students and ultimately improving academic performance in the West Africa Senior School Certificate (WASSCE).