Education Minister warns against abolishing double-track system
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghana's Minister of Education, has cautioned that abolishing the double-track system under the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy could significantly restrict access to secondary education for many students.
Read full articleThis warning comes in response to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which has pledged to eliminate the double-track system as part of its proposed reforms to the Free SHS policy.
In his remarks about the current state of education in Ghana, Dr. Adutwum emphasized that the government is actively working to build adequate infrastructure to eventually phase out the double-track system.
He expressed concern over the opposition’s proposal, stating, “I hear people say they will abolish double track. And I think to myself, they don’t understand what they’re saying. If you abolish double track at Prempeh College today, the school will be unable to enroll a single additional student.”
The Minister elaborated on the implications of such a decision, noting that the current enrollment figures rely heavily on the double-track system. He explained that if the system were removed, schools would not have the capacity to accommodate all students.
“If I abolish track at Opoku Ware today, no Form One student can be enrolled there because the school has 4,500 students and because they have been divided into three, at any point in time, 300 students are there,” he said. “If you don’t want double track and I cancel double track, 1,500 students who are going this year will not have space so they can’t go.”
