President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a newly completed E-Block at the Paga Senior High School (SHS) in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region, with a commitment to transform the school into a full-fledged boarding institution from the next academic year.
The inauguration forms part of the government's efforts to complete abandoned educational infrastructure and expand access to quality secondary education under the Strategic Secondary Education Investment Programme (STARR-J).
Speaking at the ceremony last Thursday as part of his Resetting Agenda tour of the region, President Mahama said the government would absorb the Paga SHS as a boarding school from the next academic year to enable students from communities across the district and beyond to access secondary education without the difficulties associated with daily commuting.
He said the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) would provide infrastructure for a girls' dormitory, boys' dormitory and dining hall to support the transition.
The President also announced the provision of a new 60-seater bus for the school, emphasising that the vehicle would be delivered even before the boarding facilities were completed.
Centre of excellence
“We want this school to be a centre of excellence,” President Mahama said, stressing that the success of the school would ultimately be measured by the academic performance and achievements of its students.
He challenged the school authorities and students to work towards achieving a 100 per cent pass rate in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
President Mahama said the completion of the Paga E-Block was part of efforts to address the infrastructure deficit that had accompanied the introduction of the Free SHS policy.
He recalled that the E-Block programme was initiated during his previous administration to construct additional secondary schools and expand capacity, but many of the projects were subsequently abandoned.
He said the government had allocated funds in the 2026 Budget to complete 30 abandoned E-Block projects across the country, saying “we are improving Free SHS in order that the learning outcomes and the quality of education are better”.
President Mahama said the government was investing GH¢3 billion in secondary education under the STARR-J project to reduce congestion and end the double-track system.
He said the government was targeting an end to double-track education by 2027, which would allow students to attend school and vacate at the same time and increase teacher contact hours.
The President further announced plans to construct 30 new E-Blocks, particularly in densely populated communities, where they could serve as community-based secondary schools.
Agenda 111 projects
President Mahama also assured residents that the government would continue with the Agenda 111 hospital projects, announcing plans to complete 35 facilities that had reached at least 70 per cent completion.
He further promised action on the Navio Bridge, which had not been reconstructed after its collapse some years ago, saying the project would soon be awarded on contract.
On water supply, he said he would engage the relevant institutions to explore ways of connecting their distribution systems to improve access to potable water in Paga.
Focus on science, technology
During an inspection of a four-storey laboratory complex at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) at Navrongo, President Mahama stressed the importance of expanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to meet the changing needs of the global economy.
He said the university was strategically important to the country's development because there was an increasing demand for engineers, scientists and technologists in the business and industrial sectors.
“We need to train more engineers, scientists and technologists,” he said, adding that the government was committed to making the institution a first-class university of excellence.
Minister's assurance
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said the completion and inauguration of the E-Block represented a major step towards addressing the infrastructure needs of Paga SHS.
Mr Iddrisu said several schools in the Upper East Region, including Paga SHS, Bolgatanga Central Technical Institute, Gambigo Community Day SHS, Binduri Community Senior High School and Garu Community Day SHS, would benefit from the school infrastructure improvement programme under the STARR-J project.
He also assured students that feeding challenges would not disrupt the academic calendar, emphasising that funding had been provided to ensure adequate food supplies for schools.
Expand truck park
The Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga II, appealed to the President to expand the truck park at the Paga border to accommodate the increasing number of heavy-duty vehicles transporting petroleum products and other goods to neighbouring countries.
He said the congestion posed risks to commuters and residents, particularly because some trucks carried petroleum products and explosives.
He also appealed for the completion of the Agenda 111 project, improved water supply and increased deployment of security agencies to the border community.
