Mahama announces STAR-J project to end double-track system in SHS by 2027

President John Mahama has announced that the government will soon roll out a major education infrastructure initiative aimed at eliminating the double-track system in Senior High Schools by the end of 2027.

He said the programme, known as the STAR-J project, will be led by the Ministry of Education following the signing of key agreements, and will focus on expanding school infrastructure across the country.

Speaking at the Jubilee House on Friday, May 15, during a courtesy call by the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, the President explained that the project will involve the construction and expansion of classrooms, dormitory blocks, and lecture halls in existing senior high schools to increase enrolment capacity and improve learning conditions.

“Aside from that, we have signed the agreements, and the Minister of Education will soon start the STAR-J project,” he said.

President Mahama stressed that the intervention is part of a broader plan to permanently end the double-track system, which was introduced under the Free Senior High School policy to manage overcrowding.

“This is going to be investments in the education sector, especially the secondary school sector, so that we end the double-track system, because we’ve set a target that by the end of 2027, no school in Ghana should be running double-track,” he stated.

He added that the reforms will also include upgrading schools across the country, with Category C schools being elevated to Category B, and Category B schools upgraded to Category A, in a bid to improve equity and learning outcomes.

The President said the goal is to ensure that students across all regions have access to improved facilities and a more stable academic calendar.

“This will also include improving Category B schools into Category A, and then Category C schools into Category B, so that our children can have better learning outcomes in the various schools,” he added.

The STAR-J project is expected to form a key pillar of the government’s education reform agenda, focusing on infrastructure expansion and quality improvement across the senior high school system.

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