The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has urged the Ghanaian government to keep the double‑track system in senior high schools for the next few years, citing the need to manage space pressure and the potential for phased elimination by 2030.
Executive Director Dr Peter Anti told Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, September 12, that the dual‑track arrangement remains a necessary short‑term solution. He added that the government should use the system while simultaneously bolstering online learning to keep students academically engaged during home periods.
Dr Anti noted that the current rollout of online classes and the distribution of tablets offer a chance to mitigate some of the challenges that accompanied the 2017 introduction of the double‑track system. "If you’re able to do that, then we can leverage on the double track for the next few years. As I said, the realistic time to eliminate the double track will be 2030," he said, citing the STARR‑J Project.
He called for stronger monitoring and adequate support for teachers, including incentives and resources, to ensure effective online instruction. He also stressed that parents must monitor their children’s participation in home‑based classes.
According to Dr Anti, Ghana should use technology to make the double‑track system more effective in the short term while building the capacity needed to eventually phase it out. He maintained that with the right investment, the dual‑track approach could serve as a practical interim measure until the country is ready to eliminate it.
President John Dramani Mahama has set 2027 as the deadline for ending the double‑track system, as the government works to expand senior high school infrastructure.
