Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has announced that government is working with President John Mahama and the Finance Ministry to abolish the controversial double-track system in senior high schools.
Speaking at an engagement with teachers, Mr. Iddrisu stressed that the policy had negatively affected learning outcomes and would be phased out with major infrastructure investment.
“I’m in discussion with President Mahama and in discussion with the Minister for Finance. We need to work to end the double-track system, arguably that has impacted negatively on learning outcomes in our schools. Let’s not make pretense about it,” he said.
The minister disclosed that government intends to allocate GH₵1 billion next year to expand facilities and address pressing challenges in schools.
“Next year we intend to spend one billion Ghana cedis to end the double-track system.
“We need to support infrastructure where the gap is with furniture, we will deal with this, and where we need to give you a new facility to expand your admission quota to higher numbers, we will do so,” he explained.
Mr. Iddrisu, who recently returned from a visit to Zambia, noted that Ghana is not alone in facing educational infrastructure challenges. He cited poor conditions of dormitories in Zambia as a reminder of the urgent need to improve local school facilities.
Beyond education, the minister hinted at progress on stalled development projects across the country, linking their delay to excessive borrowing and the impact of Ghana’s debt exchange programme.
“There are about 14 stalled projects which will come back for work. Education will benefit from two of those projects.
“The impact of debt exchange on some loan-funded projects will stabilize the economy. So, 14 of those projects will be given life again, including the T-BEDS project of 1 billion euro, which was funded by Planet Core,” he said.
Mr. Iddrisu further assured teachers that clearance would be sought to recruit more staff, including teachers and support personnel, in the near future.
“Somebody was insulting me that since I became a minister, I haven’t done any recruitment of teachers yet. But I will do, and I will do it in the coming days and years, and I will do it safely,” he pledged.
