Ending double-track will boost academic performance in SHS – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama says ending the double-track system in Senior High Schools will boost academic performance by increasing teacher-student contact hours and improving learning outcomes.

He made the remarks during the first day of his tour of the Upper East Region on Thursday, August 13, where he indicated government plans to strengthen secondary education and improve students’ performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The President attributed some of the challenges facing the Free Senior High School programme to reduced interaction between teachers and students under the double-track system, arguing that the arrangement has affected teaching and learning.

“We realised that one of the things affecting Free Senior High School was the reduced contact hours between the students and the teachers,” he said.

According to him, restoring a single-track system will allow students to spend more time in the classroom and receive the academic support needed to excel in their examinations.

“So, we believe that if we end the double-track, it will increase the student-teacher contact hours and we believe that will improve their performance in the WAEC exams,” he stated.

He explained that the government is pursuing infrastructure expansion projects across the country to create adequate classroom and boarding facilities needed to accommodate all students under a single-track academic calendar.

The government has set the end of 2027 as its target to completely phase out the double-track system, a policy introduced in 2018 to manage increased enrolment under the Free SHS programme.

He then again stressed that ending the system forms part of broader educational reforms aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning while ensuring equal opportunities for students across the country.

“We want by 2027, no child in secondary school in Ghana should be on double track,” the President reiterated, expressing confidence that the reforms will enhance academic standards and prepare students better for national examinations.