President Mahama Commissions Completed E-Block at Paga
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned a completed E-Block at Paga in the Upper East Region, reaffirming government’s commitment to expanding access to quality secondary education and completing abandoned school projects across the country.
The facility, which forms part of the E-Block projects initiated to expand infrastructure for secondary education, was abandoned after reaching an advanced stage but has now been completed under the government’s programme to revive stalled projects.
Speaking at the commissioning, President Mahama said the government had made the completion of abandoned projects a priority because public funds had already been invested in them.
He said the government had allocated funding in the 2026 Budget for the completion of 30 abandoned E-Blocks across the country, with the Paga facility being one of the projects selected.
President Mahama said the decision to complete the projects was intended to ensure that investments made with taxpayers’ money were not allowed to go to waste.
The President said the E-Block concept was originally introduced to expand access to secondary education and provide adequate infrastructure to accommodate increasing enrolment under the Free Senior High School programme.
He noted that the failure to expand secondary school infrastructure alongside the implementation of Free SHS had contributed to the introduction of the double-track system.
President Mahama said government was working to eliminate the double-track system by 2027 to enable all students to attend school at the same time and benefit from increased teacher-student contact hours.
He said improving contact hours was necessary to enhance learning outcomes and improve the performance of students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The President announced that the Paga school would be absorbed into the boarding system from the next academic year, given the distances students from surrounding communities have to travel to access the school.
He said the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) would construct three additional facilities for the school, a girls’ dormitory, a boys’ dormitory and a dining hall, to support its transition into a boarding institution.
President Mahama further announced the provision of a new 60-seater bus for the school to support transportation needs.
He said the bus would be provided before the completion of the additional boarding facilities.
President Mahama urged the school authorities to make the institution a centre of excellence, stressing that the success of the school would ultimately be measured by the academic outcomes of its students.
He expressed the expectation that the school would strive for a 100 per cent pass rate in the WASSCE.
The President also announced that government was investing GH¢3 billion in secondary education under the STAR-J project to address congestion in schools and support the elimination of the double-track system.
Under the initiative, government will complete 30 abandoned E-Blocks while constructing an additional 30 new secondary schools, particularly in densely populated communities.
President Mahama said the new schools would serve as community-based institutions, enabling students in high-population areas to access secondary education closer to their homes.
He said the government remained committed to improving the quality and accessibility of education under the Resetting Ghana Agenda, including ensuring adequate infrastructure and resources for students and teachers.
The commissioning of the Paga E-Block forms part of the government’s wider programme to revive abandoned projects and ensure that completed public infrastructure is put to productive use.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
