A nationwide poll conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has found that more than half of Ghanaians support the government’s proposal to borrow funds to construct additional Senior High School (SHS) infrastructure and ultimately eliminate the double-track system.

The survey showed that 54.3 per cent of respondents supported the proposal, while 38.4 per cent opposed it and 6.2 per cent expressed no opinion.

The IEA said the relatively strong support for additional borrowing could be linked to the continued pressure on existing SHS infrastructure following the increase in enrolment under the Free SHS policy.

“The relatively strong support for additional borrowing may, in part, reflect continued pressure on existing SHS infrastructure arising from high enrolment levels,” the institute said.

It added that “for many Ghanaians, expanding school infrastructure appears to be necessary to address the capacity constraints associated with the implementation of Free SHS.”

The government introduced the double-track system in 2018 as a temporary response to inadequate infrastructure after the introduction of the Free SHS policy.

Under the system, students were divided into two groups that take turns attending school, allowing more students to be accommodated within existing facilities.

The IEA, however, said the poll showed that many Ghanaians remain concerned about the impact of the arrangement on the quality of secondary education.

The survey also found out that 64.7 per cent of respondents believe the Double-Track System has reduced the quality of SHS education.

The poll covered 1,062 respondents across all 16 regions of Ghana.