The Ghana Education Service (GES) has reiterated its intention to phase out the double-track system by 2027.

The Double Track System is an academic calendar model introduced in Ghana’s Senior High Schools (SHS) by the Akufo-Addo-led administration in 2018 to manage overcrowding by splitting students into two alternating groups, Green and Gold, who attend school at different times.

While it has been instrumental in managing the infrastructure deficit in the Free Senior High School programme, it came with several other challenges, including reduced contact hours for studies and increased burden on teachers, which affected academic results.

Consequently, the Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access at the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Munawaru Issahaque, has announced that his outfit is currently engaging key stakeholders, including leading university professors and the Minister of Education, to gradually eliminate the double-track system in the next two years.

Speaking in an interview with Citi News on Sunday, October 12, Dr Issahaque said the initiative seeks to restore the traditional academic calendar and bring relief to parents and students.

“We are very ready to reopen between October 18 and 20. We want our parents to also have some peace of mind. So, we have worked with key stakeholders behind the scenes to ensure that we revert the academic calendar and, with the Minister of Education’s approval, reverse the double-track system by 2027,” he said.

Dr Issahaque explained that the process involves both material and financial considerations, emphasising that the Service is committed to a smooth transition. He also revealed that the automatic placement rate for this year’s Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) stood at 82 percent, reflecting successful placements for the majority of candidates.

“If we have about 600,000 candidates and almost 593,000 passed, it means they have a chance of being placed in one school or another,” he noted.

The Deputy Director-General further indicated that the GES is fully prepared to reopen senior high schools for Form One students, following the completion of the placement process. He advised parents to ensure their wards are adequately prepared for school reopening by fulfilling all prospectus requirements.

“We all want the best for our children. The system offers seven school options, but many parents focus primarily on the first choice. That’s not a fair approach. Prepare your child to accept the school they are placed in and get ready to join their colleagues,” Dr Issahaque urged.

About a month ago, the government earmarked GH¢1 billion to phase out the double-track system in senior high schools (SHSs).

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, announced this during the inauguration of a new staff accommodation facility at Accra Girls' Senior High School.

The massive investment, which will reflect in next year’s budget, will be sourced from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).

Also, the government this year began including private Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Free SHS programme through a pilot initiative involving 60 selected institutions as part of efforts to reduce congestion in public SHSs and phase out the Double Track System.

In reaction to this, Former Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who served under the Akufo-Addo-led government, has opposed the current administration’s measure to include private schools under the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy.

Addressing the media on Monday, September 16, Dr Adutwum, now flagbearer of the NPP, questioned how such an initiative can be achieved given the heavy demand for certain schools.

“I don’t understand the logic. The issue is not about lack of space in schools generally, but lack of space in the most desirable schools. So if you don’t get this right, you will prescribe the wrong solution. I don’t think private schools are the answer to the double-track system.

"Parents have a right to select the schools they want, and everybody wants Category A. If you don’t have Category A private schools, parents are going to have nothing to do with it,” he said.

However, the former Education Minister argues that it is impossible for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to successfully roll out the policy, as it fails to address the real challenge.

He believes that although the government’s intention is to reduce overcrowding in certain Senior High Schools, such an initiative would be a fiasco, since most students want to attend only the top-ranked schools.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has criticized the government's intentions to include private schools in the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, June 3, GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Musah, stressed that the proposed plans would place additional strain on public schools.

He noted that the government must tread cautiously to prevent citing a lack of resources as a reason for discontinuing the programme.

“We don’t want the situation where tomorrow the government will come and tell us that there are no resources to teach in the public schools, and so we are adding on to those that parents have to pay. Already we have been calling for parents who can pay fees to pay, or should be made to make some contributions.

“We have not yet been able to get all these things done. So, adding on to the already existing burden will be serious, and I have some difficulty with it,” he stated.

The anticipated extension of the Free SHS policy, according to Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, is a fulfillment of the government’s manifesto promise, aimed at ensuring eligible students gain admission without delays. “We believe strongly that in fulfilling this manifesto campaign promise, this is going to serve as an artery in helping us bring an end to the double-track system,” the deputy minister said.

According to him, the Education Ministry has received encouraging feedback from private schools, many of which have expressed readiness to meet the standards and requirements of the Free SHS framework. “… and the eagerness of the private schools to participate, the private schools will deliver in their participation,” he assured.

He added that this collaboration would not only help expand capacity but also ensure a more equitable distribution of educational opportunities across the country.