Free SHS and double-track have improved quality of education – Education Ministry

Kwasi Kwarteng, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education has rubbished claims that the Free Senior High School programme and the double-track system have adversely affected education in the country.

Kwarteng said contrary to claims that the two programmes have reduced the quality of education, records at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) indicate that Ghanaian students perform better than others from neighbouring countries.

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“I mean the data is there for all of us if you look at the recent WASSCE statistics, we have increased enrolment, improved class size, improved teacher-student ratio, teaching hours have increased from 1,080 to 1,134, employment of teaching and non-teaching staff and a whole lot of others,” Kwarteng said on Town Hall Talk with sit-in host Beatrice Adu.

He added: “Again let’s look at the results of the first batch of Free SHS students and double-track, per the statistics available, out of over 455 students having 8 As in West Africa, we had 411 from Ghana. These 411 competed with students from Nigeria, The Gambia and Sierra Leone who don’t even run double-track. So how do we say double-track has been problematic?”

Also, he said the Akufo-Addo government has invested in infrastructure in the education sector leading to the completion of 584 projects out of 1135.

“That speaks to the commitment of the government to do away with the double-track. I just want to set the premise that, double-track is not a challenge but an innovation response to increasing access to education,” Kwarteng said.

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