Double-track solutions: Eligible Private SHS should be made campuses of PRESEC under PRESEC’s management -Kofi Asare gleaned

Mr. Kofi Asare, the Executive Director at EDUWATCH though gleaning from voluminous submission on solutions for the double-track system in SHS has presented useful varied views from the comments his followers submitted as a way to help solve the DT problems.

The Double-Track System in the Ghanaian Senior High Schools (SHSs) commenced in the 2018/2019 academic year in 400 Senior High Schools across the country as a response to the overwhelming demand for education, accommodating a multitude of students in the wake of the free education initiative. This system has helped students to enroll in SHSs in great numbers since its inception.

“The Double-Track System of Education was introduced in the 2018/19 academic year in 400 senior high schools across the country. This was due to increase in enrolment as existing facilities in Senior High high Schools could not accommodate the increase.”

However, it has been noted that the said system has numerous challenges.
According to Enoch Ampofo Adjei’s 2021 project work titled “EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF DOUBLE-TRACK SCHOOLS AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES BY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT IN SELECTED SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE EASTERN REGION OF GHANA“, he worked extensively on the challenges the double-track system is facing since its year of inception.

The challenges associated with the implementation of the policy were financial constraints, infrastructure deficit, inadequate and delayed release of food items, lack of teaching and learning materials, inadequate contact hours, and poor implementation of the policy and the double-track system.

“Drawing from the Job Demand Resources Model and Robert Merton’s theory on Adaptation, the study found out that double-track schools faced challenges with infrastructure, inadequate human resource, untimely
release of funds, inability to go for vacation, as well as unwholesome and
under supply of food items.”

As the 2024 General Elections is approaching, varied views are shared on how to address the challenges the double-track system has brought into the Ghanaian educational landscape and how it should be solved appropriately.

Mr. Kofi Asare, the Executive Director at EDUWATCH shared and called on many brains to bring their opinions on board which can help curb the eating-up problems the Ghanaian education sector is facing with regards to the introduction of double-track system.

READ ALSO: NAGRAT calls for elimination of SHS double-track system and academic calendar reset

“If the NDC promises to end Double Track at Presec Legon using Private Schools, they must move 1,800 students to a nearby, vacant Private SHS with similar facilities. Which Private SHS, and how? Discuss!”, Mr. Kofi Asare initiated conversation and invited opinions on the topic of addressing double-track education system in Ghana.

From Mr. Asare’s method of inviting varied opinions to address the challenge, many opened up and shared their take on the topic for discussion.

After a thorough review of the presented opinions/ideas, he stringed some vital points from the many submitted opinions.

“I gleaned these ideas from the over 300 comments I received.”

Below is the selected opinions from the conversation Mr. Kofi Asare initiated on May 6, 2024 in a public post.

HOW WOULD THE NDC USE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO END DOUBLE-TRACK IN PRESEC? (Opinions of others)

1. It is not impossible to use private SHS to end DT, provided they are available near Cat A schools, have the space, and facilities.

2. If you simply list private SHS on the CSSPS, they will remain vacant. Candidates will go for the public ones, and DT will remain.

3. To avoid this, eligible Private SHS must be made campuses of Presec under Presec’s management, taught by Presec teachers.

READ ALSO: New SHS Curriculum: NaCCA invites stakeholders and public for Ghana’s educational system discussion

4. No single private SHS in the Legon-Madina enclave can accommodate 1.800 boarding students; And this is arguably the area with the most private SHS in Ghana. You can imagine what this portends for other Cat A schools like Mfantsipim, Augusco and Adisco, all in one town with fewer private SHS.

4. At least 2 or 3 will be required for Presec. Action SHS is quite big and under-utilized, plus 2 other vacant private SHS facilities with good infrastructure and space. Each then becomes a Presec campus.

5. The higher the number of campuses here, the higher the cost of coordinating schooling, supervising students there, i.e. More security staff, more kitchen staff, cleaners, etc plus rent for teachers who must be accommodated around the new campuses to monitor. This will increase an already high free SHS budget.

6. Schools like Delcam, Preset etc joining Is not feasible since they don’t have compounds to accommodate boarders-these schools exist on 1-2 plots of land filled 95% by the building. They are built as day schools.

7a. Other schools like Ideal College etc are already in good business. They will make more money running than renting their facility to GoG in the short-term.

7b. It is logical to appreciate that, running schools are not likely to rent their property to GoG, since in the long run, after GoG builds new classrooms and dormitories at Presec, they will be abandoned, and have to start all over again, after years of building their brand.

7c. There are schools that have converted into hostels and making more cash in the Madina-Legon because of UPSA.

“In conclusion, these are useful opinions” Mr. Asare added.

“NB: This is not my proposal on how to end DT,” he stressed on the submitted opinions on Double-track in SHS.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh