Deputy Education Minister, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour
Government announces new academic calendar
Minister declares end of Double Track system in Senior High School
Free SHS policy leads to a rise in enrolment
Following the announcement of a new academic calendar for Senior High Schools, the Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. Ntim Fordjour, is reported to have declared the double-track system as abolished.
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Asked during an interview with Okay FM if introducing a new academic calendar will mean the abolishment of the Double Track System, the Deputy Minister for Education answered in the affirmative.
He further clarified that there would no longer be red, yellow and green tracks adding that "schools without enough facilities to absorb the current system will have only one batch to be on vacation. That is; If first years are on vacation, you still have second and final year students still in school."
But in a social media post clarifying the details of the new calendar, the Public Relations officer of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, has stated that the introduction of the new calendar has not brought the end of the double-track system.
"Double Track is not completely abolished. We have eliminated the double-entry of Form One and Form Two students. What it means is that all Form One and Form Two students will go to school each as one cohort, not divided into two," he wrote.
Kwasi Kwarteng added that the double-track system would be completely abolished once government fulfils its commitment to building more schools to accommodate the entire student population across the country.
"As more school buildings are completed, entire school populations will report to school at the same time as one cohort as it pertains in Single Track schools," he added.
The double-track system was introduced by the government to manage an increase in the Senior High School student population in relation to limited infrastructure.
The introduction of the Free Senior High School policy by the government in 2017 led to an increase in student enrolment, causing a strain on infrastructure.