804 School facilities under construction in double track schools
A total of 804 school facilities are under construction in double track schools across the country, the Deputy Minister in charge of Pre-tertiary Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has announced.
He explained that the move was part of government’s strategy to develop school infrastructure to meet its double track elimination pledge.
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Speaking in an interview on the implementation of the Double Track system, Dr Adutwum explained that even though there was massive infrastructure development, “no school currently under the double track system will exit in the short term.
The ministry is within the five to seven-year time frame set by the President to phase out the double track system.
Benefits of Double Track
He was excited that as a result of the Double Track system, enrolment into SHSs had increased from 365,000 in 2017 to 434,000 in 2018, adding that majority of the double track schools currently had new facilities and furniture distribution was currently being expedited.
"Beds were recently distributed to schools with new dormitory facilities," he explained.
He further explained that the Double Track system ensured the reduction in congestion, "because all the students are not in school at the same time.
"Furthermore irrespective of the track of a student, they spend the same number of days in school during the academic year," he explained.
Interventions
Dr Adutwum said for the benefit of the general public, "the Double Track opens up more spaces for students and at the same time reduces congestion."
Touching on interventions, he said the government had set up intervention grants in senior high schools to provide incentives to teachers in exchange for additional intervention and tutoring opportunity for students.
Additionally, he said about 9,000 personnel had been hired to bolster teaching and non-teaching human resource capacity in all public SHSs in the country.
“Double Track is an innovative approach introduced to boost enrolment while at the same time it reduces congestion in SHSs across the country.
“The strategy has been implemented in various states in the United States to solve problems arising from increased student population,” Dr Adutwum explained.
