The government has obtained a $200 million funding package from the World Bank to phase out the double-track system in senior high schools permanently, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has revealed.
He explained that the double-track arrangement has been a key factor behind the recent decline in performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), noting that it significantly reduces instructional time for both teachers and students.
The minister indicated that the newly-secured funds will be invested in classroom and infrastructure expansion to enable a nationwide return to the single-track model.
“Students are spending far less time with their teachers and in the classroom than is ideal,” Mr. Iddrisu said. “We are firmly committed to addressing this, and government has obtained $200 million from the World Bank to eliminate the double-track system.”
He further pledged continuous state support to enhance educational facilities and sustain the reforms being introduced.
Mr. Iddrisu made the comments during the swearing-in of Governing Councils for four Colleges of Education — Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Gbewa College of Education, Al-Faruq College of Education, and Enchi College of Education.
He also commended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Kwahu for independently discontinuing the double-track arrangement at the school level, describing the initiative as forward-thinking and worthy of recognition.
The Minister additionally announced that President John Dramani Mahama has obtained a $30 million grant from the Chinese government for the establishment of a new University of Science and Technology in Damongo.
According to him, the project is part of a larger national agenda to broaden access to tertiary education and strengthen the country’s pool of skilled human resources.
He reiterated government’s dedication to improving educational standards through sustained infrastructural investment, policy reforms, and strategic partnerships designed to support long-term national growth.
