Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is worried that the introduction of the double track system will cause Ghana to lose her place as best performing country in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The double track system has become necessary because government does not have enough infrastructure to accommodate the huge enrollment rates since it implemented its Free SHS policy.
The double track is being implemented in at least 400 out of more than 670 public schools.
Government hopes that the new policy will allow more students to access education at the senior high school level.
Currently, about 362,118 first-year students in public SHSs in the country are benefiting from the policy, with 117,692 of them being day students and 244,426 as boarders.
Students on the second track of the double track system are expected in school next week as those in the first track have vacated.
But Mr Ablakwa who was Deputy Education Minister during the Mahama-led administration said the policy is bad and will reduce Ghana’s standing amount its West African counterparts.
He believes it will affect teaching and learning and eventually affect students performance during the WASSCE examination written by students in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia.
“We were in the ministry of education for four consecutive years and Ghana was adjudged the best performing WASSCE nation. My fear at this rate is that we’re going to lose that pride of place.
“I shudder to imagine the kind of results that will be turned out…the future of millions of our children is what we are toying with,” he added.
Mr Ablakwa reiterated General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s comments that the double track system will be scrapped if the party wins power in 2020.
Mr Asideu Nketia described the system as a “shambolic” one which is not good for the country.
Source: Myjoyonline.com