Madonna’s planned academy for girls has been scrapped, with the land designated for the school now due to become a memorial ground.

The ‘Girl Gone Wild’ singer donated $15m (£9.4m) to build the school, attending a special groundbreaking ceremony in 2009.

Madonna visits her Malawian school for a groundbreaking ceremony in 2009. The project was cancelled in 2011.

However plans for the school were cancelled last year, and The Guardian now reports that a monument to national heroes will be built in its place.

The new project, the result of a cabinet decision, will apparently cost the Southern African nation millions.

Tourism Minister Daniel Liwimbi has said: “Malawians deemed to have done a heroic endeavour of national importance, and selected by [a] committee which will scrutinise whatever they did, will be buried there.”

Madonna has adopted son David and daughter Mercy from Malawi.

She is also mother to 15-year-old Lourdes from her relationship with Carlos Leon and 11-year-old Rocco from her marriage to Guy Richie.