The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that 99 double-track Senior High Schools have been taken off the system and restored back to their traditional single track.
The GES noted that the Free SHS budget allocations have also been increased with dedicated source of funding.
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A GES press release, signed by Mr Daniel Fenyi, the Head of Public Relations said the Government had paid GHC1 billion to the free secondary education programme and cleared all Capitation Grant arrears, costing GH¢72.8 million.
Also, GH¢2.9 billion had been paid to the Ghana Education Trust Fund, and GH¢122.8 million paid for the Basic Education Certificate Examination registration.
“The School feeding budget increased per child, with GH¢895 million paid to the School Feeding Programme for basic schools,” the release added.
It said the Parent-Teacher Associations had been reactivated to improve school governance and promote discipline.
It noted that this year’s WASSCE practicals and feeding grant for special needs schools had all been paid.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has admitted that the introduction of the double-track system under the government’s flagship Free Senior High School (SHS) programme has had negative consequences on the quality of education in the country.
Addressing the press, the Minister explained that while the policy significantly expanded access to secondary education, the implementation of the double-track system created challenges that affected teaching and learning outcomes.
The double-track system was introduced in 2018 as a temporary measure to accommodate the sharp increase in SHS enrolment following the launch of the Free SHS policy.
The initiative divided students into green and gold tracks, with each group alternating in attendance to reduce congestion in classrooms.
However, critics of the system argued that it disrupted academic calendars, created pressure on teachers, and compromised the depth of teaching.
Parents and education experts also raised concerns about the adequacy of supervision during the off-track periods.
