The Ministry of Education says despite some challenges being experienced regarding the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, it is not as bad as some people are portraying it.
The Ministry said the Free SHS policy and the Double-Track System have increased enrolment in schools.
There has also been an increase in Teacher-Student contact hours and instructional time by 54 more hours.
A statement by the Ministry expressed disappointment in a publication attributed to a Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Sampson Obed Appiah, describing the double-track system under the Free SHS programme as the “most unfortunate policy” in the history of the country’s educational system.
The Education Ministry said the Double-Track System creates an opportunity for all students who have passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination, (BECE), to have access to quality education.
This, the statement noted, will not have been the case previously, due to limited spaces in high schools.
It said since the introduction of the Free SHS policy, the Ministry of Education has constructed more than 962 facilities including dormitories and classroom blocks to create an enabling environment for effective teaching and learning.
It said infrastructure has seen improvement under the policy, while results from the recent West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), indicated a marked improvement in average scores.
