President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to abolishing the controversial double track system in senior high schools, setting 2027 as the firm deadline for its complete removal.
Speaking in Accra on Wednesday, May 13, the President said the plan will be supported by a $300 million World Bank facility under the Transformative Secondary Education for Access, Results and Relevance for Jobs (STARR-J) project, which is expected to upgrade 50 senior high schools nationwide.
“By 2027, there should be no secondary school implementing a double track system in Ghana,” President Mahama stated. “The STARR-J project is going to assist the Ghana Government to achieve its target of bringing an end to double track in our secondary school system by next year.”
Under the project, 30 Category C schools are expected to be upgraded to Category B status, while 20 Category B schools will be elevated to Category A. The President said the investment goes beyond infrastructure expansion and is aimed at improving equity, quality, and access in secondary education.
“This strategic investment is not simply about expanding infrastructure; it is fundamentally about promoting equity, improving quality, and widening opportunities for every Ghanaian child,” he noted.
The STARR-J project will also revive the community day school concept through the construction of new E-blocks in selected urban and peri-urban areas. According to the President, this will help reduce pressure on existing boarding schools.
“If we get some of the children to go to school within their communities, it will ease the pressure on the boarding schools elsewhere,” he explained.
The double track system, introduced in September 2018 under the Free Senior High School policy, was designed to address increased enrolment in public SHSs. It split students into two groups, commonly referred to as the Green Track and Gold Track, who alternate between periods of school attendance and breaks.
While the policy expanded access to secondary education, it has faced criticism from stakeholders, including concerns about learning disruptions, curriculum pressure, and strain on teachers and school infrastructure.
Beyond infrastructure development, the STARR-J project will also support continuous professional development for teachers, including digital literacy and artificial intelligence training. President Mahama also announced reforms to teacher progression, stating that promotions will no longer depend solely on administrative vacancies.
“Teachers can now progress on merit, competence, experience, performance, and years of dedicated service,” he said.
Additionally, the government has allocated GH¢1 billion from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to complete stalled infrastructure projects in schools currently operating under the double track system, as part of efforts to meet the 2027 deadline.
