The deputy Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has revealed that the dual tracking SHS system to be implemented by government in September this year will only last for seven years.
According to him, the seven year period will be used to address accommodation challenges in the various senior high schools after which the schools will revert to the normal education calendar.
“This is a stop-gap measure, even in all countries that have used it. As I speak with you we are securing 500 million dollars to complete all Getfund uncompleted buildings that are at the 70 percent completion level.
“So within a short period we will build so many schools then calendars will revert…we believe that within 5-7 years we would have done a lot of construction that will enable us go back to regular calendar,” Dr. Adutwum told Ultimate FM’s Isaac Bediako Justice.
Double Track System will be similar to the semester mode of learning applicable in the universities at the SHS level. With this system, each track will be in school for specific days for each semester and go on vacation and come back for the second semester.
While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice versa. The objectives of the Double-track School Calendar are to create room to accommodate increase in enrolment, reduce class sizes, increase contact hours and to increase the number of holidays.
A total of 362,118 first-year students from public Senior High Schools across the country are currently benefiting from the government’s fee-free education policy since its inception. Of the above figure, 117,692 are day students with 244,426 being boarders.
Based on last year’s enrollment, the government has projected enrollment figures for 2018 to stand at 472,730 against available seats of 290, 737 leaving a gap of 181, 993 to be created in order to accommodate the expected number of enrollment.
The double tracking system, according to the Ministry of Education will offer students more instructional and contact hours with teachers.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
