President John Dramani Mahama has said the government’s plan to phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools will improve students’ academic performance by restoring adequate contact time between teachers and learners.

Speaking during his first-day tour of the Upper East Region on Thursday, August 13, 2026, President Mahama said the double-track arrangement had reduced the amount of time teachers spent engaging with students, which had affected the quality of teaching and learning.

He linked the reduced teacher-student interaction to challenges in preparing students for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), arguing that ending the system would create better conditions for effective teaching and learning.

“We realised that one of the things affecting Free Senior High School was the reduced contact hours between the students and the teachers,” President Mahama said.

“So, we believe that if we end the double-track, it will increase the student-teacher contact hours and we believe that will improve their performance in the WAEC exams.”

Government has set the end of 2027 as the target for completing the phase-out of the double-track system, with the transition dependent on the expansion of infrastructure required to accommodate all students under a single-track arrangement.