We’ll abolish double track and improve free SHS’ – Prof. Opoku-Agyemang assures
The next John Mahama government will abolish the ‘Double Track’ system and improve on the quality of education under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy to prevent pupils from being stressed, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2020 Running Mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said.
The former Ministetr for Education said abolishing the Double Track, which is currently running in some selected senior high schools across the country, does not mean the next NDC government will collapse the pro-poor education policy as being bandied around by communicators of the ruling NPP.
The Double Track was introduced by the Akufo-Addo to enable the schools admit more students than it could take. It divides the entire student body and staff into two different tracks such that while one track is in school, the other is on vacation.
“We will abolish the double track,” Professor Opoku-Agyemang said as she emphasised that to abolish the policy, that had negatively affected the quality of Ghana’s education, did not mean the NDC will scrap the Free SHS.
She said the Mahama-led government will complete the 200 community day senior secondary schools to deal with the infrastructural deficit in the education sector.
The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) made this assertion on Wednesday night while delivering a speech at a youth forum organised by the Youth Wing of the NDC.
The event was to to commemorate the International Youth Day and also have a discussion on the policies the NDC has in stock for the youth of the country.
Speaking to the youth groups that had gathered at the Mensvic Hotel, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted that the youth can be widely transformed through secondary education, which includes Technical and Vocational Education, and help build skills for nation building.
“Extending opportunities for all is John Mahama’s vision for progress,” she added while emphasizing that the next Mahama government will expand vocational training to creatye more jobs for the youth as well as strengthening the existing youth policies.
“It is not in the interest of our families…It is in the interest of the coming generation,” she assured while pledging committment to working hard to realise the youth policies the NDC is yet to unveil to the country.
Encouraging the youth to step up and be engaged by policy makers, the former Minister said,”We need to build a narrative of vivid determination to build the Ghana that we have…And the ingredients should come from us. Together we can build the Ghana we dream of.”
“It’s about you being an agent of change…everybody has a dream and each dream matters,” she added.
