Government is putting up 16 new Senior High Schools to decongest existing schools and phase out the double-track system.
President John Dramani Mahama said the projects were being funded under a newly approved $300 million World Bank package.
According to him, the additional schools will expand capacity at the SHS level and relieve the pressure on overcrowded schools that were forced to run the double-track calendar due to infrastructure deficits.
“Under that project too, we’re building 16 brand-new secondary schools so that we can ease the congestion in the existing schools,” President Mahama stated.
He made this known when he inspected ongoing GETFund projects at Han Senior High School.
President Mahama also disclosed plans to turn rural Senior High Schools that serve wide catchment areas into boarding facilities to address the long distances students cover to access education.
He said this would be a change in the implementation of the community day school concept, which he noted works best in densely populated communities where students can commute from home.
President Mahama explained that schools in rural settings often cater for learners from far and dispersed communities, making daily travel a challenge.
“The intention now is to use the community day concept in the high-density population areas where the children can stay at home and easily go to school,” he said.
“And then for those that are in the rural areas with a big catchment area, we turn them into boarding schools so that the children can reside on campus.”
