President Mahama Vows to Completely Phase Out Free SHS Double-Track System by 2027 | Discuss Ghana

The localized structural shift back toward a single, year-round academic standard has received a firm, timeline-bound execution order from Jubilee House. Reaffirming his administration's premium focus on overhauling secondary education, President John Dramani Mahama declared a definitive end to the shift system in senior high schools, pledging that by the end of 2027, there will be no secondary school in Ghana implementing the double-track system.

The declaration represents a major public policy anchor of the presidency's ongoing economic and infrastructure campaign. Speaking during a working inspection and community town hall, President Mahama emphasized that while expanding access remains an important baseline, the structural compromise of cutting contact hours under the dual-cohort model (Gold and Green tracks) must be permanently corrected to safeguard the academic output of the nation's youth.

The $300 Million Blueprint to End the Shift System

To prevent overcrowding and ensure a smooth return to the traditional single-track academic calendar, the executive branch has rolled out a massive, multi-faceted structural investment plan:

The World Bank STARR-J Injection: The administration has secured a $300 million World Bank facility under the Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance, and Results for Jobs (STARR-J) project. This capital is being deployed to upgrade 50 Senior High Schools nationwide, elevating 30 Category C schools to Category B, and 20 Category B schools to Category A.

The Structural Expansion Drive: President Mahama detailed that funds are actively being distributed for a massive brick-and-mortar layout across Senior High Schools. The state is constructing new dormitory blocks, lecture halls, dining facilities, and modern auditoriums to expand physical intake capacity so all cohorts can report to school simultaneously.

The Urban E-Blocks and Day-School Matrix: To further de-congest standard boarding facilities, the government is operationalizing the community day-school model by building new E-blocks within urban and peri-urban centers, allowing students to seamlessly commute from home.

Relief for the Faculty Engine: The President noted that ending the double-track system is fundamentally a humanitarian win for educators. Phasing out the continuous shifting cycles will finally restore essential contact hours between students and teachers while giving faculty the required time to rest, upgrade skills in digital literacy, and prepare notes.

THE SHS STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION ROADMAP:

┌────────────────────────────────────────┐      ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          THE STOP-GAP SHIFT MODEL      │      │         THE 2027 SINGLE-TRACK MANDATE  │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤      ├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Status: Splitting students into Gold │  ──  │ • Status: Complete nationwide phase-out│
│   and Green cohorts since 2018         │  ──  │   of shifts backed by $300M funding    │
│ • Flaws: Compromised contact hours,    │      │ • Action: Upgrading 50 key SHS hubs;   │
│   overcrowded boards, & intense fatigue│      │   constructing urban E-block day nets  │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────────────────