A turning point for secondary education if we get it right
The announcement that government has secured a US$300 million World Bank facility to upgrade 50 senior high schools (SHSs) under the Transformative Secondary Education for Access, Results and Relevance for Jobs (STARR-J) project is, without doubt, a significant moment for Ghana’s education sector.
President John Dramani Mahama’s declaration yesterday that the initiative will help end the double-track system by 2027 has naturally generated optimism across the country.
For many parents, students, and teachers, the double-track system has been a long-standing source of frustration, logistical pressure, and academic disruption.
Any credible plan to phase it out is therefore welcome.
However, as The Ghanaian Times reflects on this development, it is important to move beyond the excitement of policy announcements and focus on the harder question, delivery.
The STARR-J project seeks to upgrade 30 category C schools to category B and 20 category B schools to category A.
It also includes plans for new community day SHSs, alongside continuous professional development for teachers, including training in digital literacy, artificial intelligence integration, and modern pedagogical approaches.
On paper, this is ambitious and forward-looking.
But Ghana has, over the years, seen well-packaged education reforms struggle at the implementation stage due to funding delays, infrastructure gaps, and weak monitoring systems.
The success of STARR-J will therefore depend not only on financing, but on discipline in execution, transparency in procurement, and strict timelines that are respected at every level.
The commitment to end the double-track system by 2027 is particularly bold.
It is achievable only if infrastructure expansion keeps pace with enrolment pressures, and if new community day schools are delivered in a timely and strategic manner. Anything short of that risks shifting pressure from one bottleneck to another.
Equally important is the emphasis on teacher development. It is refreshing to hear renewed focus on equipping teachers with 21st-century skills.
Yet, training programmes must not become routine workshops with little practical impact. They must be continuous, well-resourced, and linked to measurable improvements in classroom delivery.
The Ghanaian Times also notes the President’s emphasis on easing pressure on boarding schools by expanding access through community-based SHSs.
This is a practical approach, especially for urban and peri-urban communities where commuting is feasible. But careful planning will be required to ensure that these schools do not suffer the same overcrowding challenges they are meant to solve.
Ultimately, STARR-J presents Ghana with an opportunity, not just to expand access, but to reset the quality and structure of secondary education for a new generation. But opportunities in themselves do not transform systems; implementation does.
We must therefore move swiftly from announcement to action.
The government must ensure that the World Bank facility is deployed efficiently, transparently, and strictly for its intended purpose.
Monitoring institutions must be empowered, and timelines must be enforced without compromise.
Contractors and implementing agencies must be held accountable for every cedi and every milestone.
The Ghanaian Times is of the view that Ghana cannot afford another ambitious education reform that loses momentum halfway.
The future of thousands of young people depends on getting this right.
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