Free SHS: NPP argues on NDC’s proposed abolishment of the double-track system to restrict 1.8 million students.
Former President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) announced in their 2024 manifesto a plan to review Ghana’s free secondary education policy within 100 days, with a key focus on abolishing the double-track system. Mahama argues this change will restore the one-track academic calendar, but the proposal has sparked debate on access to education.
The double-track system, introduced under the Nana Addo/Bawumia administration, allows schools to maximize their facilities, ensuring that 1,800,000 students can access Free Senior High School (FSHS) and TVET programs. Schools following this model operate on a transitional calendar, allowing two out of three student cohorts to be in class at any time, thus using limited space more effectively.
The NPP government highlights that the double-track system has increased student-teacher contact hours, contributing to improved performance in the WASSCE since 2020. This system also enables schools with limited infrastructure to serve a larger student body, with 300 schools currently on the double-track, accommodating about 450,000 students each year. Abolishing it would restrict access for around 1.8 million students over the next four years, they argue.
Since 2017, the government has invested heavily in school infrastructure and expanded teaching staff to support the free education policy. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP vow to protect and expand FSHS, emphasizing TVET and STEM, while gradually phasing out double-track only as infrastructure improves.
According to the NPP, an abrupt end to double-track, as proposed by Mahama, risks undermining the free secondary education policy, especially when junior-to-senior high transition rates aim to reach 100% from the current 83%.
