The Christian Council of Ghana believes piloting the Double Tracking System in order to accommodate the increasing number of students at the Senior High School level could have been ideal.
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.
In order to accommodate the expected number of enrollment, the government has resolved to introduce a system called double tracking which will be similar to the semester mode of learning applicable in the universities and is expected to last for seven years.
Addressing the media Tuesday at the meet the press series in Accra, Education Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh said the government was adopting the system while putting in measures to build enough educational structures.
Speaking at the Global Evangelical Church’s 2018 Synod, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Cyril Fayose, said the Council supports the Free SHS system.
“I want to commend the government for this tireless effort not to leave any child behind. It is a good thing,” Fayose stated.
He added: “But in your attempt to do a good thing it is important that you take everyone along – PTAs, traditional leaders and Faith-based organizations, GES and the entire nation.
“There is a need for the general public to understand the proposal and to engage the system meaningful. The Council would have wished that the programme would have been piloted first before a full blown implementation, but having not done that we admonish the public to be objective in such matters of national interest.
“Our discussion should move towards national interest and the future of Ghanaian youth.”
However, the Council has advised government and its communicators to “respect dissenting views coming from any section of the Ghanaian populace and avoid embarking on vindictive attacks on people who express views that do not favour them.”
Meanwhile, a former Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Development Studies (UDS) Prof. David Miller has described the yet-to-be introduced double tracking system under the Free SHS policy as confusing.
He says he envisions a problem at the implementation of the programme as government readies to roll it out.
“The whole double track system is a bit confusing to me. I have difficulty understanding the whole system and I am sure there are others in the system who are just like me. We will need clarity. The double track system is still not clear. It looks like it is still hanging at the Ministry Level.
“There is a need to conscientise people very quickly and let them know what the implications are. Sitting in Accra to talk about it alone will not help those of us far. There should be community sensitization as well,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
