The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has renewed calls for the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reconsider the current academic calendar and revert to the trimester system.
The teacher’s union has raised concerns over the mounting pressures faced by educators and school administrators due to the increasing student population and prolonged teaching periods.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, September 27, Angel Carbonu, the President of NAGRAT, underscored the urgency of the matter, emphasizing the need for swift action by the Ministry of Education.
He also expressed disappointment over the government’s unfulfilled promises regarding the cancellation of the double-track system.
The double-track system was introduced in under the Free Senior High School (SHS) initiative to accommodate the surging number of students, as the existing school facilities were deemed insufficient.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had assured the nation that within five years, the double-track system would be phased out, with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) financing the construction of additional infrastructure in schools to accommodate the growing student population.
Angel Carbonu lamented that despite the passing of the stipulated five-year period, the double-track system is still operational in 40% of the SHSs. He elaborated the challenges and attendance problems associated with the double-track system, emphasizing the undue burden it places on school management and teachers.
“The government promised us at that time that within five years, the double-track system would be a thing of the past. It said it would ask the Ghana Education Trust Fund to put up facilities and structures in the schools to cater for the increase in number. “We are calling on the GES, the Ministry, and the government at large to revert to the previous school calendar format,” Carbonu urged.
In addition to demanding a calendar reset, Carbonu also called on GETFund to provide an explanation to the Ghanaian public regarding its failure to construct the promised school infrastructure to accommodate students adequately.
“GETFund should also respond to Ghanaians why it has not been able to put up the infrastructures that will accommodate students.”
This development adds to the ongoing debate over the effectiveness and sustainability of the double-track system, signaling a potential shift in education policy in Ghana.
