President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a newly completed E-Block at Paga Senior High School (SHS) in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, announcing plans to transform the institution into a fully fledged boarding school beginning from the next academic year.
The commissioning of the facility forms part of the government’s broader efforts to complete abandoned educational infrastructure projects and improve access to quality secondary education across the country under the Strategic Secondary Education Investment Programme (STARR-J).
The inauguration took place during President Mahama’s recent tour of the Upper East Region as part of his “Resetting Agenda,” through which he has been engaging communities and inspecting development projects aimed at accelerating socio-economic growth. Addressing students, teachers, traditional authorities and residents at the ceremony, President Mahama said the decision to convert Paga SHS into a boarding institution was intended to remove barriers that prevent many students from accessing secondary education.
According to him, students from distant communities often face significant challenges commuting to school daily, affecting attendance, punctuality and academic performance. The conversion of the school into a boarding institution, he noted, would create opportunities for students from across the district and neighbouring areas to pursue their education under more conducive conditions.
To support the transition, the President announced that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) would finance the construction of essential boarding facilities, including separate dormitories for boys and girls as well as a dining hall. He further disclosed that the government would provide a new 60-seater bus for the school, indicating that the vehicle would be delivered even before the completion of the boarding facilities.
President Mahama stressed that government investments in the school were aimed at making Paga SHS a leading educational institution in the region. “We want this school to be a centre of excellence,” he stated, urging school authorities, teachers and students to work collectively toward improving academic outcomes.
He challenged the school community to strive for a 100 per cent pass rate in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), saying the true success of the investment would be measured by the achievements of the students. The President explained that the completion of the Paga SHS E-Block forms part of a national strategy to address infrastructure deficits that emerged following the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.
He recalled that the E-Block initiative was introduced during his previous administration to increase access to secondary education through the construction of additional school facilities. However, he noted that several of the projects were left incomplete in subsequent years. According to him, the government has allocated funding in the 2026 national budget to complete 30 abandoned E-Block projects across the country.
He said the intervention is intended not only to expand access to education but also to improve the quality of teaching and learning under the Free SHS programme. “We are improving Free SHS in order that the learning outcomes and the quality of education are better,” the President said.
President Mahama further revealed that the government is investing approximately GH¢3 billion in secondary education infrastructure through the STARR-J project. The investment, he explained, is expected to help reduce overcrowding in schools and ultimately eliminate the double-track system, which was introduced to accommodate increased enrolment under Free SHS.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to ending the double-track arrangement by 2027, a move he said would ensure all students attend and vacate school at the same time while increasing teacher-student contact hours. In addition to completing abandoned projects, the President announced plans to construct 30 new E-Blocks across the country, particularly in densely populated communities where access to secondary education remains limited.
Beyond education, President Mahama used the occasion to address concerns about healthcare, transportation and water supply in the Upper East Region. He assured residents that the government would continue work on the Agenda 111 hospital projects initiated by the previous administration. According to him, priority would be given to completing 35 facilities that have already achieved at least 70 per cent completion.
The President also pledged government support for the reconstruction of the Navio Bridge, which collapsed several years ago and has remained a major concern for residents. He said the project would soon be awarded on contract to restore connectivity and improve transportation within the area.
On the issue of water supply, President Mahama acknowledged the challenges facing communities in Paga and promised to engage relevant agencies to explore options for improving access to potable water through expanded distribution networks. During the regional tour, the President also inspected a four storey laboratory complex under construction at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Navrongo.
He emphasised the importance of strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy. President Mahama described UTAS as a strategically important institution capable of producing the engineers, scientists and technologists required to drive Ghana’s industrial and economic transformation.
“We need to train more engineers, scientists and technologists,” he said, adding that the government was committed to developing the university into a world-class centre of excellence. The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, described the completion of the Paga SHS E-Block as a significant milestone in efforts to improve educational infrastructure in the Upper East Region.
He announced that several schools, including Bolgatanga Central Technical Institute, Gambigo Community Day SHS, Binduri Community Senior High School and Garu Community Day SHS, would also benefit from infrastructure improvements under the STARR-J initiative. Mr Iddrisu further assured students and school administrators that government had made adequate provisions to address feeding challenges in schools and ensure that academic activities would not be disrupted.
Meanwhile, the Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga II, commended the government for its commitment to development in the area while appealing for additional support. He called for the expansion of the truck park at the Paga border, citing increasing congestion caused by heavy-duty vehicles transporting petroleum products and other goods to neighbouring countries.
The traditional ruler warned that the growing number of trucks posed safety risks to residents and commuters, particularly because some vehicles carry petroleum products and explosives. He also appealed for the completion of the local Agenda 111 hospital project, improvements in water supply and increased deployment of security personnel to strengthen safety in the border community.
The inauguration of the Paga SHS E-Block is expected to significantly enhance educational opportunities in the district while reinforcing the government’s broader commitment to improving infrastructure, expanding access to quality education and promoting regional development.
Philbert Amiba Ayuusah