The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced that the government will phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHSs) through a combination of infrastructure expansion, digital learning support, and the inclusion of private schools under the Free SHS policy.

He said the system, which was introduced to ease congestion, had outlived its usefulness and was undermining the quality of education.

Mr Iddrisu explained that the double-track arrangement had negatively affected learning outcomes by reducing contact hours and study time for students.

“The double-track system has impacted negatively on the quality and outcomes of education under the Free SHS policy. Students have fewer contact hours and less study time, which affects their performance,” he told journalists at a media briefing in Accra on Sunday, August 24.

He emphasised that the government’s commitment to ending the policy would be achieved on three fronts: expanding school infrastructure, strengthening digital resources to support learning, and enabling private SHSs to absorb qualified students to ease pressure on public institutions.

“Government’s commitment to ending the system can only be realised at three levels: expanding infrastructure, strengthening digital resources in schools, and allowing private SHSs to absorb qualified students,” he said.

To manage the transition, an 11-member committee has been established to review the 2024/2025 academic calendar and propose a roadmap for the phase-out.

The team, chaired by Professor Peter Grant of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), includes senior academics and education experts drawn from UCC, PRINCOF, the Ghana Education Service, WAEC, CHASS, and COHBS, among other stakeholders.