Free SHS double track taking toll on SHS/SHTS staff – Govt official

Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, says the double-track system introduced by the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration is taking a toll on teachers and other staff of Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country.

During a visit to some Senior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region, he said the high number of students being managed under the double track system is overwhelming school administrators, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff.

“The double track system has taken a very large toll on school administrations. Going round, we realise that the number of students the school authorities are managing is very high and if care is not taken, they will break down.

From the heads of the various institutions down to the kitchen staff and labourers, none can take any leave breaks because as soon as one batch leaves, another arrives within three days,” the Chairman of the Committee stated.

The Akatsi North Member of Parliament said the situation was having both physical and psychological effects, which called for an urgent phasing out of the double-track system from the second cycle education system.

Commenting indirectly on the computerised second cycle school placement, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said students should be redistributed more equitably among various second cycle schools in the country.

“We must also work towards reducing the numbers in Category A Senior High Schools. I don’t see why a school should have over 6,000 students managed by just 187 teachers. It is not enough.

We need to expand facilities in Category B Senior High Schools (SHSs) to accommodate more students from the next academic year,” said the member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.

In a related development, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, says the government, as part of key reforms in the country’s education sector, is taking steps to phase out or end the double-track system at the Senior High School level in 2027.

“We are working to revise the curriculum…If the government is to succeed in ending the double-track system, not later than Monday, you should have a board so that all expenditures are properly approved by the board.

We expect that by the year 2027, the double-track system will be a thing of the past,” the Education Minister said at an engagement with members of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS).

Amid this, the Education Minister has inaugurated a Committee to develop a roadmap for transitioning Senior High Schools and Senior High Technical Schools from the double-track system back to a single-track system.

In a social media post sighted by Pretertiary.com, the Ministry of Education said the Committee tasked to plan the phase out of the double-track system will be chaired by Professor Peter Grant of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Other members of the committee include representatives from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Ghana Education Service (GES), and other key stakeholders in the education sector.

The Ministry in Charge of Education said the mandate of the committee is to assess the current system, consult widely, and propose practical solutions that will ensure a smooth transition without compromising access and quality.