Double track system begins today

The implementation of the double track system in some 400 Senior High Schools in Ghana begins today, Tuesday, September 11, 2018.

The new system, which was created due to an increase in enrollment is expected to create space to accommodate more students, reduce class size, increase contact hours and increase the number of holidays.

The government adopted the double-track system to cater for increased enrollment under its flagship free Senior High School programme, due to a deficit in infrastructure.

The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa in a Citi News interview said they are ready to ensure the success of the double track system.

“We are expecting first-year students who are on the green track and first years who are on the single track to be joining them from tomorrow onward. School re-opens for green track and single track on September 11, 2018,” he added.

We’re ready to receive double track beneficiaries – CHASS

The General Secretary of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Very Rev. Abraham Osei Donkor, had assured their readiness to receive beneficiary students of the double track system.

“For readiness, we are. Even on Tuesday, some parents are reporting to the various schools to take the list for their wards and other instructions for them to prepare to come. So for the schools, they are ready,” Very Rev. Abraham Osei Donkor said in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday.

He said the schools are currently sorting out issues which have to do with the number of students placed in the various schools by the computerized school placement system.

“Maybe the only rough edges being ironed out are the lists that have come to the schools, and if there are any discrepancies, they are sorting them out,” he added.

Rev. Donkor said all the classrooms and the necessary facilities for use by the new students have all been taken care of.

“When form ones are coming, we make sure classrooms earmarked for them are ready, tables, chairs, learning materials etc are ready.”

The CHASS General Secretary in an earlier interview with Citi News said they have notified the government of schools that have issues with their staff strength.

“We have really prepared the timetable looking at our staff strength. Where there are shortfalls we have notified the government.  I think that we should all get involved, and be optimistic for us to get the intended benefits,” the CHASS General Secretary added.

Details of the double track system

Some 400 out of the 696 public senior high schools have been selected to operate the system.

The schools would accommodate the over 180,000 students.

8,872 tutors to be recruited for double-track

Government is to recruit about 8,872 additional tutors for the double track programme which begins tomorrow, September 11, 2018, in over 400 selected senior high schools in Ghana.

According to the Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, the recruitment process has already commenced.

Speaking at a press conference, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said no teacher would be allowed to be on more than one track.

“800 people were trained to draw up a timetable. They have done that, and out of that, we have been able to identify the number of teachers that we need to supplement the existing number of teachers. It is 8,872, and if you take this, it will tell you the number of teachers that they need, and the subjects that the teachers should be recruited into,” he added.

“Under the double track, we realized that if we don’t plan properly, teachers may be teaching all-year round and they may not have time for themselves. They may break down, and we will have many casualties. We’ve planned it in such a way that if you are a teacher in a given track when the schools are on vacation, then you will also be on vacation.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin