According to Ghana News Agency:otoe, Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, disclosed that student populations in some schools had reached unsustainable levels-some accommodating over 5,000 students-which placed immense pressure on available infrastructure and affected effective teaching and learning. “There is a nationwide appeal to end the double track system because it is placing a burden on students, teachers, and parents alike,” he said. “However, returning to single track requires urgent infrastructural investments, and that is what we are currently assessing.”
He emphasized that the lack of classrooms, dormitories, and furniture continued to hinder efforts to revert to a single-track system. “These challenges affect both double- and single-track schools, and we will recommend to the Ministry of Education to address them with urgency.”
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe noted that although phasing out double track nationwide could not happen all at once, the committee would advise the Minister of Education to implement the transition gradually targeting a number of schools each year. “If done strategically, the country could completely phase out the system in about three years,” he added. He also recommended strengthening infrastructure in less-populated schools to help absorb more students and reduce congestion in overcrowded institutions.
During their visit to Mawuli School and OLA Senior High School in Ho, school authorities appealed to the committee to prioritize their stalled infrastructure projects, particularly those concerning classrooms, dormitories, and furniture. Member of Parliament for Ho Central, Mr. Richmond Kofi Kpotosu, who is also a member of the committee, assured that he would personally follow up with the Minister of Education to ensure that these projects receive the necessary attention.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, the ranking member of the Committee and MP for Offinso North, defended the free secondary education policy, describing it as a bold and necessary initiative. “Without free SHS, millions of students would have been denied access to education,” he said. “Despite some initial challenges, most schools we visited show promising student performance, which underscores the importance of improving infrastructure to sustain these gains.”
He added that the Education Committee will closely monitor the release of approved budgets to ensure that institutions receive timely funding to address their pressing needs. The committee began its Volta Regional tour with visits to Bishop Herman College in Kpando and Awudome Senior High School in Tsito-Awudome before proceeding to Mawuli School and OLA SHS in Ho.