Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, has announced a new target of 2029 for the government to end the double-track system in Ghana’s senior high schools (SHSs).
Speaking at the press briefing dubbed “Government Accountability Series”, Haruna Iddrisu disclosed that Cabinet has approved a STAR-J infrastructure programme valued at 331 million.
He revealed that the programme would cover 210 senior high schools, senior high technical schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across the country.
The Education Minister disclosed that the programme includes the rehabilitation of 112 senior high schools and 38 TVET institutions, the upgrading of 30 Category C schools to Category B and the conversion of 20 Category B schools to Category A.
Haruna Iddrisu stated, “That’s why we’re introducing the STAR-J initiative. By 2029, we should be done with double track with this intervention. Some of the double-track schools, it’s just furniture.
They are not asking for money. Director General of GES is here. I hear about a hundred schools. If we give them adequate furniture, they are out of double track. So it’s to coordinate the things we are doing”.
The development contradicts what President John Dramani Mahama said the government had planned to end the double-track system in senior high schools (SHSs) by 2027.
Earlier, President John Dramani Mahama reiterated his government’s commitment to ending the SHS double-track system.
According to President John Mahama, a hundred SHS schools have already reverted to single-track.
Mahama highlighted that his government is firmly committed to abolishing the double-track system entirely through a focused two-year intervention, which will be implemented this year and next year, and will eventually end the double-track system.
Speaking at the 54th National Delegates Conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra on Monday, January 5, President Mahama stated, “In 2025 alone, the Free SHS program received 3.5 billion Ghana cedis under the GETFund. This has been the highest allocation since its inception, and this has strengthened logistics, feeding, and learning conditions in our secondary schools”.
He added, “I’m pleased to announce that about 100 double-track schools have already reverted to single-track. And the government remains firmly committed to abolishing the double-track system entirely through a focused two-year intervention, which we call the Ghana Secondary Learning Improvement Project — GSLIP.
This project will improve access and quality and restore full-time schooling for all students. So this year, next year are implementation. By the time we finish implementing, there’ll be no secondary school implementing double-track in this country.”
Also, Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister for Education, has said the former government’s double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHSs) negatively affected the quality of education.
The Education Minister noted that the double-track system reduced contact hours and study time for students in the Senior High School.
Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, August 24, 2025, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “The double-track system has impacted negatively on the quality and outcomes of education under the Free SHS policy. Students have fewer contact hours and less study time, which affects their performance.
“Government’s commitment to ending the system can only be realised at three levels: expanding infrastructure, strengthening digital resources in schools, and allowing private SHSs to absorb qualified students to ease the pressure,” he said at a media briefing.
See the post below:
Government extends deadline to phase out SHS double-track system to 2029…#GHOneNews #EIBNetwork#GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/EiCioQA25t
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) July 21, 2026
@ghnow_ We have filled for appeal and bail in the Chairman Wontumi Case – Lawyers for Wontumi #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “Chairman Wontumi will remain a hero and will not suffer” – NPP 3rd Vice Chairman, Chairman Buga #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
