'Don't implement double-track system anyhow; consult' – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has called for a national consultation to build consensus on a sustainable framework for the implementation of government’s Free Senior High School policy.

According to Mr. Mahama, the mode of implementation for the Free SHS on an ad-hoc basis is improper.

Ex-President Mahama tweeted that proposals made by government to modify Senior High Education in the country through the double-track system should be subjected a  broad stakeholder consultation adding that it is not too late to revise the Free SHS policy.

Introducing shift system for SHS? It doesn’t help to continue to implement this all important free SHS programme on an ad hoc basis. It’s not too late to hold a comprehensive national consultation to forge a consensus on a sustainable framework for its implementation. #Ghana

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) July 25, 2018

“Introducing shift system for SHS? It doesn’t help to continue to implement this all important free SHS programme on an ad hoc basis. It’s not too late to hold a comprehensive national consultation to forge a consensus on a sustainable framework for its implementation. #Ghana”

Former President Mahama further called on Government to ensure a “comprehensive stakeholder consensus” for a sustainable implementation of Free SHS policy.

SHS Multi-track system will improve quality – President Nana Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has defended his administration’s decision to roll out the new system for Senior High Schools beginning this September.

According to him, his critics will be put to shame when the system is finally rolled out successfully in September.

“I am sure that in two or three years, the comments made by the representatives of the teachers about the quality of examination passes will be a thing of the past. So I want you to support this dual intake system as being a very efficient way of dealing with this large class thing,” the President added.

How the new system will work

This new system will run in all the categories A and B senior high schools in the country.

The new programme creates a calendar of two semesters in a year for the SHS 1 class, containing 81 days per each semester and 41 days of vacation for a sandwich class.

Over 8,000 teachers are being recruited to handle the sandwich classes, so teachers are not be deprived of their holidays.

Under the new system, teaching hours are increased from six hours per day to eight hours per day.

Teaching hours are expected to increase from 1,080 hours per year under the current single-track system, to 1,134 hours per year under the proposed double-track system.

The new system is expected to cost GH₵323 million to implement fully.

GH₵267.2 million of this amount will go into teaching costs and GH₵55.8 million for academic interventions.

Without the double-track system, the government will require GH₵1.3 billion to accommodate the increase in numbers.

Among the infrastructure needs are 622 six-unit classroom blocks at the cost of GH₵404 million, 181,993 student desks costing GH₵81.6 million, and 3,730 teachers’ furniture estimated at GH₵3.6 million.

Teacher compensation under Dual Intake System inadequate – NAGRAT

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has said the expected compensation for partaking in the Dual Intake System for secondary education is not enough.

“The government has indicated that each student will pay GHc50 or the price per student on the additional workload will be GH₵50 per semester that the children will be in school. But when you do this; when you break it down, you realize that this is actually no money. [Whether] monthly or daily, you see that it is no money” Angel Carbonu, NAGRAT’s President, told Citi News.

NAGRAT has cautioned government against implementing the new system for secondary education without consulting stakeholders in education.

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By: Jude Mensa Duncan/citinewsroom.com/Ghana

Source: citifmonline.com