Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Anthony Afful Broni, has commended the government for introducing the double-track system in senior high schools (SHSs).
According to him, the system has been tried and tested in some advanced countries and proved useful, hence will help Ghana’s education system.
Government has explained that the two-track system is meant to cater for the spike in enrolment into SHSs due to the free SHS policy.
The full implementation of the new system is expected to cost GHS323 million. The objective of the double-track system is to create room to accommodate all the students, reduce class size, increase contact hours and increase the number of holidays.
The system is similar to the academic calendar used in the universities. With this system, each track will be in school for specific days for each semester and go on vacation and come back for the second semester. While the first track is in school, the second track will be on vacation and vice-versa.
Speaking at the official signing of a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Effutu Traditional Council and the University of Education, Winneba, on Friday, 17 August 2018, Prof Broni said: “We, in this university, are building extensively and are expanding extensively, our infrastructure. Designs have been completed and contracts are about to be awarded for the construction of eight pavilions each with a 550-seat capacity.
“All of this is in anticipation of the arrival of the first batch of the free senior high school students. We are increasing and expanding Wi-Fi access to ease research, teaching and learning. We are bringing on board more resources and more lecturers are being employed to meet these numbers.”
He added: “We, at this university, are happy that the government has, once again, come up with an initiative – the Senor High School Double-Track System. The Double-Track System is acknowledged internationally as a useful education policy that ensures an equitable distribution of resources and access to high schools and tertiary institutions by everyone.
“Those of us in academia are aware of several studies which indicate that the double-track or multi-track system of education such as the one being rolled out by the government, leads to improvement in learning and academic achievements because of relatively fewer classes and also improves teacher-student ratio.”
For his part, Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said he believes the signing of the MoU marks the beginning of good things for the constituency and the school.
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
