President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to convert Senior High Schools in rural areas with large catchment areas into boarding schools to ease the difficulties students face in commuting long distances to school.
He said the policy would represent a shift in the application of the community day school model, which he said was more suitable for densely populated areas where students could easily travel from home to school.
Mahama explained that rural schools often serve communities spread across wide areas, making daily commuting difficult for students.
“The intention now is to use the community day concept in the high-density population areas where the children can stay at home and easily go to school,” he said.
“And then for those that are in the rural areas with a big catchment area, we turn them into boarding schools so that the children can reside on campus.”
Han SHS to Lead the Transformation
The President was speaking at Han Senior High School during an inspection of ongoing Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) projects at the school on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Mahama said Han SHS would be among the schools to benefit from the new approach, announcing plans for the construction of separate dormitories for boys and girls.
“So Headmaster, I mean, if we’re not going to give you boarding status, we’ll start building a boys and girls dormitory,” he said.
He assured the school authorities that the institution’s conversion to a boarding school was being considered and said the change in status would follow the completion of the ongoing construction works.
“So you know that definitely boarding status is on the way,” Mahama said.
“Once the contractor is finished, we’ll change the designation of the school into a boarding school, and then you can start admitting students.”
The President said the policy was intended to address the particular challenges faced by students in rural communities, where the distance between schools and the communities they serve can make regular commuting difficult.
Background: The Community Day School Model
The community day senior high school concept was introduced in 2016 under the previous National Democratic Congress administration as part of efforts to expand access to secondary education. The model was designed to bring secondary education closer to underserved communities, particularly in rural districts, by establishing day schools that students could attend from their homes.
However, the model has faced persistent challenges. Many community day schools were built in locations with vast catchment areas, forcing students to travel long distances daily. In some cases, students walk several kilometres to school, while others rely on unreliable public transport, leading to lateness, absenteeism, and in some instances, dropping out.
Critics have also noted that the day school model places additional burdens on families, who must provide daily meals and transportation for their children, compared to boarding schools where students are accommodated on campus.
Shifting Policy Under Mahama
The announcement represents a significant policy shift under the Mahama administration, which has been reviewing the implementation of the community day school model. The government has already committed to investing in infrastructure through GETFund and the $300 million World Bank facility to expand capacity and end the double-track system by 2027.
Under the new approach, the government will maintain the day school model in urban and peri-urban areas with high population density, where students can easily commute from home. Rural schools with extensive catchment areas will be upgraded to boarding status, with dormitories constructed to accommodate students on campus.
The conversion of Han SHS to a boarding school is expected to serve as a pilot for the broader policy rollout. The school currently serves students from communities across the Sekyere Afram Plains District and surrounding areas, many of whom travel long distances to attend classes.
Addressing Rural Education Challenges
Education analysts have welcomed the policy direction, noting that boarding schools in rural areas can improve attendance, reduce dropout rates, and provide a more conducive learning environment for students from dispersed communities. Boarding facilities also allow for greater teacher-student contact time, which is expected to improve academic performance.
However, analysts caution that the success of the policy will depend on adequate funding for dormitory construction, proper maintenance of facilities, and the recruitment of sufficient staff to manage boarding operations. The government has indicated that the GETFund and World Bank-supported projects will provide the necessary financial backing for the expansion of boarding facilities across the country.
The policy aligns with the government’s broader objective of improving access to quality secondary education and addressing the infrastructure deficits that have hindered the full implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.
