By: Kwame Bediako
Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has announced government’s firm commitment to completely eliminating the double track system in the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme. Describing the policy as “completely obnoxious,” he emphasized the government’s focus on creating better learning conditions for students across the country.
In an exclusive interview with GTV, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained the challenges posed by the double track system, which forced students to attend school intermittently.
“Students would go to school for two weeks and then stay home for three months, making it extremely difficult to follow a reliable academic calendar,” he stated.
This irregularity, he said, was a clear indication of the system’s inefficiency and the need for urgent reform. “The permanent solution to overcrowding is having enough facilities on all school campuses, but that cannot be achieved in six months,” Kwakye Ofosu noted.
The minister also revealed that the recent uncapping of the GetFund has enabled the government to allocate over seven billion Ghana cedis this year, with at least three billion dedicated to financing free senior high school education. This financial boost, he said, has significantly improved the quality and delivery of the Free SHS program, reducing many of the problems previously encountered.
“It will take a bit of time. Fortu hnately, because of the uncapping of GetFund, this year they should get in excess of seven billion Ghana cedis, which then ensures that at least three billion of it is referenced to finance free senior high school education. That is how come these days you don’t hear about some of the problems that used to exist”, Felix Kwakye Ofosu affirmed.
He further highlighted the unprecedented funding for school feeding programs, with six hundred million Ghana cedis being regularly disbursed directly to schools.
“This level of support is unprecedented and ensures students receive proper meals, which is critical for their academic performance,” he affirmed.
