President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled an ambitious national secondary education infrastructure programme that will see significant upgrades across the country beginning in 2026.
Speaking at the 65th anniversary celebration of Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale, Mahama announced that the government will upgrade thirty Category C Senior High Schools (SHS) with new dormitories, science laboratories, classroom blocks, and dedicated STEM facilities.
The initiative seeks to bridge the longstanding disparities among Category A, B, and C schools, which have contributed to challenges in the school placement system and unequal access to quality education.
The anniversary ceremony drew thousands of attendees, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, traditional leaders, alumni, teachers, parents, and students.
President Mahama, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, also an alumna of GHANASCO, was warmly received by the school community.
Mahama highlighted that nearly half of all SHS students are placed in Category C schools, many of which lack essential facilities.
The government’s goal, he stressed, is to ensure that all students, regardless of school placement, have access to quality education and the same opportunities for tertiary admission.
President Mahama said the first thirty Category C schools had been selected for major investment under the 2026 Budget. These schools will receive fully equipped science laboratories, modern dormitories, classroom blocks, and STEM centres, which will enhance the learning environment and gradually elevate them to Category B or A status.
He further announced that thirty abandoned E-blocks—community day schools started during his first administration—would be completed next year to expand access to secondary education nationwide.
Turning to the Free SHS Programme, the Mahama noted that it has been strengthened with dedicated funding, ending the previous delays in releasing funds to schools.
He recalled the difficulties faced by headteachers, who often had to solicit food for students due to late funding.
With dedicated funds now in place, the National Food Buffer Stock Company can supply schools efficiently, ensuring students receive regular, nutritious meals.
At GHANASCO, President Mahama announced a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade.
He broke ground for a 5,000-seat multipurpose assembly hall—the first of its kind in a Ghanaian senior high school—to accommodate the growing student population.
From its modest beginnings with seventy students, GHANASCO now has 4,524 students supported by 172 teachers and 52 non-teaching staff across six academic departments.
Additional projects include a new classroom block, a modern boys’ dormitory, upgraded science laboratories, and mechanised boreholes to address the school’s longstanding water challenges. Work on the Damongo–Tamale Water Project, which will draw water from the White Volta at Yapei, is also set to begin next year, promising a sustainable solution to GHANASCO’s water shortage.
First Lady Lordina Mahama is leading the construction of an ultramodern astro turf for the school.
Other projects funded by GETFund include a two-storey, 12-unit classroom block, a two-storey boys’ dormitory, two 12-seater toilet facilities, and a fully rehabilitated science laboratory.
The President also commissioned a SMART Classroom Block to advance digital literacy and support technology integration in teaching.
President Mahama further disclosed that GHANASCO would be among the first schools to implement poultry and livestock farms, a government initiative aimed at promoting self-sufficiency in school feeding and practical skills among students.
He encouraged students to volunteer on the farms and joked that the headmaster would have no excuse for a lack of meat in the dining hall once the project is operational.
Minister of Education Mr Haruna Iddrisu announced that 2,000 pieces of furniture would be delivered to GHANASCO and other schools by the end of December.
He added that GETFund would procure new buses for about fifty schools, including GHANASCO, and assured that procurement processes to provide vehicles for headmasters nationwide were underway.
GHANASCO Headmaster Douglas Haruna Yakubu expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the 30-seater bus and thanked the First Lady for the Lordina Mahama Hall, which significantly improved accommodation for female students.
Alhaji Ibrahim Abdul Fatawu, President of the Old GHANASCANs Association, commended the government for the progress on the school’s fence wall and ongoing infrastructural improvements.
The 65th anniversary, themed “GHANASCO at 65: A Legacy of Excellence, Inspiring Future Generations,” was not only a celebration of the school’s history but also a platform for national dialogue on equity, access, and quality in secondary education. President Mahama reaffirmed his administration’s vision of a Ghana where every school, regardless of category, becomes an institution of pride and academic achievement, ensuring that all students have an equal chance to succeed.
