The Minority in Parliament is demanding a review on Akufo-Addo’s government Free SHS, especially on the double-track system which they believe it’s a timed-bomb in disguise that can explode anytime soon.

Stating that the Minority is not against the government’s free SHS, but how the programme is run and its related challenges tend to endanger these school going children, hence demanding  a review on it.

According to them, the government’s decision to implement the double-track system in Senior High Schools have caused more harm than good, and needs an urgent review.

Speaking to issue at a press conference, the Ranking Member of the Education Committee of Parliament, Hon. Peter Nortsu Kotoe, said the frequent semester breaks are a disservice to students.

He also disclosed that the double-track system has caused about 1,433 teenage pregnancies in the various secondary schools.

“One major disadvantage of the ‘Double-Track’ system is the area where many heads of second cycle institutions are indeed afraid to comment.

That has to do with high rate of teenage pregnancies being recorded in some Senior High Schools”. Hon. Nortsu Kotoe indicated.

Within a spate of one year, between 2018-2019, He said, over 1,433 girls at Senior High Schools across the country were impregnated and dropped out of school.

Adding that the long and frequent semester breaks are the major causes of the teenage pregnancies, where students spend eight weeks at school and the same length of time at home.

“The government went ahead to hurriedly commence the policy resulting in many challenges which continue to debilitate an otherwise good policy.

Major among these are a huge deficit in physical infrastructure resulting among others in congestion and overcrowding in the schools for the large number of students enrolled”. Hon. Nortsu Kotoe reiterated.

The double track system is currently operational in some 400 Senior High Schools, as the government aims to cater for increased enrolment under the Free SHS programme.

This particular system of education divides the entire student body and staff into two different tracks; so while one track is in school, the other is on vacation.

Source: Editor/www.newslinegh.com

 

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