Mahama's Bold Promise: A New Era for Ghana's Abandoned E-Block Schools

President John Dramani Mahama has outlined a comprehensive strategy to bolster Ghana's educational infrastructure, focusing on both the completion of existing, abandoned E-Block school projects and the construction of new facilities. During his ongoing engagements across the country, particularly in the Upper East Region, President Mahama reiterated his commitment to expanding access to quality secondary education for Ghanaian students.

A key component of this strategy involves the completion of 30 abandoned E-Block school projects nationwide. President Mahama stated that his administration has made provisions in the budget (referred to as both "this year's budget" and the "2026 budget" in the source texts) to ensure these facilities are brought to fruition. He emphasized that leaving projects incomplete after public funds have been invested constitutes a waste of taxpayer money. An example of this commitment was demonstrated during his tour of the Upper East Region, where he commissioned an E-Block facility at Paga Senior High School, one of the projects selected for completion. This particular school, previously operating under challenging conditions, has now been transformed into a modern educational environment, significantly improving learning outcomes for students. The President also directed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to expedite the provision of essential furniture and equipment for the newly completed facilities.

In addition to completing existing projects, President Mahama announced plans for the construction of another 30 new E-Block secondary schools. These new schools, to be built from scratch under the government’s "Star J Project," will primarily serve as community day schools. A strategic decision has been made to locate the majority of these new facilities in high-population-density areas across the country. This approach aims to bring secondary education closer to students, enabling them to attend school within or very near their communities, and significantly reducing daily travel distances. This addresses a challenge observed with some earlier E-Block schools, particularly those situated in rural districts where students from scattered communities often faced difficulties commuting daily, leading to the conversion of several such facilities into boarding schools. By strategically placing the new E-Blocks in urban, densely populated areas, the government intends to optimize accessibility and enhance the community-based learning experience.

These initiatives underscore President Mahama’s broader vision to provide modern educational infrastructure, increase access to secondary education, and create improved learning environments, thereby addressing infrastructure gaps and reducing pressure on existing educational institutions across Ghana.