President John Mahama has announced that the government has secured a 300-million-dollar facility from the World Bank to upgrade 50 senior high schools across the country as part of efforts to improve access and quality in secondary education.

Speaking at the commissioning of a PET Scan at the Swedish Ghana Medical Centre, President Mahama said the initiative, known as the Transformative Secondary Education for Access, Results and Relevance for Jobs project (STARR-J), would play a major role in ending the Double Track system by 2027.

“The STARR-J project is going to assist the Ghana government achieve its target of bringing an end to double track in our secondary school system by next year. By 2027, there should be no secondary school implementing a double track system in Ghana,” he stated.

READ ALSO: SHS Freshers To Report On September 18 – GES

According to the President, the project will see 30 Category C senior high schools upgraded to Category B, while 20 Category B schools will be elevated to Category A.

“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 said.

President Mahama disclosed that new E-block community day schools would also be constructed in urban and peri-urban communities to ease pressure on boarding facilities and improve access to secondary education.

“So what this means is that if we get some of the children to go to school within their communities, it will ease the pressure on the boarding schools that are elsewhere,” he explained.

He added that the schools would be strategically located in communities where students can commute easily between home and school.

Beyond infrastructure, the President said the STARR-J initiative would focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in technical and vocational education.

“As part of this initiative, all teachers in our secondary schools will benefit from continuous professional development programmes designed to sharpen their skills and improve classroom effectiveness,” he noted.

He said the training programmes would equip teachers with “21st century competencies, including digital literacy, critical thinking, innovative pedagogical approaches, artificial intelligence integration, and learner-centred teaching.”

President Mahama further praised teachers for their contribution to national development, describing education as the “bedrock of national development.”

“Behind every successful doctor, every successful engineer, entrepreneur, public servant, scientist, and let me add, behind every president, there stands a teacher who inspired, nurtured and guided them on that journey,” he stated.

The President also talked about recent reforms to career progression within the teaching service, saying the government had introduced measures to allow teachers to rise through the ranks based on merit, competence, experience, and performance rather than the availability of administrative positions.

“This reform ensures that excellence in the classroom is recognized and rewarded, whilst strengthening professionalism, morale, and dignity across the teaching service,” he added.

The newly commissioned PET Scan machine at the Swedish Ghana Medical Centre is expected to significantly improve advanced diagnostic healthcare services in Ghana.

A PET Scan, short for Positron Emission Tomography scan, is an advanced imaging technology used to detect and monitor diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders by showing how tissues and organs are functioning inside the body.

The technology helps doctors identify diseases at early stages, improve treatment planning, and monitor patients’ responses to treatment.

myjoyonline.com

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that all Junior High School graduates who took the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are scheduled to begin their studies at Senior High and Technical Schools across the country on September 18, 2026.

In a statement released on Thursday, May 14, GES leadership congratulated the graduating students and confirmed that thorough preparations are in place to ensure a seamless entry into senior secondary education.

These preparations involve guaranteeing sufficient infrastructure, resources, and administrative assistance in schools to support all new students.

All candidates who qualify will be assigned to schools, according to the statement. Every attempt has been made to guarantee that every student has access to technical and senior high education.

The service responded to recent media reports indicating a potential risk of placement for approximately 72,000 students, characterizing these assertions as “speculative” and advising the public to dismiss them.

Additionally, the Ghana Education Service (GES) assured stakeholders that the ongoing process to discontinue the double-track system would not hinder students’ educational access.

Conversely, this reform is anticipated to enhance the quality of teaching and learning, while ensuring continued full access for all students.

The service reiterated its dedication to providing equitable, inclusive, and quality education for every Ghanaian child, requesting the support of parents, educators, and policymakers in achieving this national goal.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has appointed Professor Christian Agyare as its new Vice-Chancellor for a four-year term beginning August 1, 2026.

The appointment was announced in an official notice issued and signed by the Registrar, Benjamin B. Owusu, on May 13, 2026, following the University Council’s 292nd Special Meeting held on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the Council considered and accepted the report of the Search Committee for Vice-Chancellor before approving the appointment of Professor Agyare, a Professor of Pharmaceutics and current Provost of the College of Health Sciences at KNUST.

He is expected to serve as Vice-Chancellor from August 1, 2026, to July 31, 2030.

The appointment comes amid heightened public interest in the university’s leadership transition following recent reports alleging political interference in the selection process, claims the university earlier dismissed as false and misleading.

KNUST had maintained that the process was being conducted professionally, transparently and in accordance with the institution’s established procedures.

Professor Agyare is widely recognised within academic and research circles for his contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and higher education administration.

citinewsroom.com