Editorial
Initiative to phase out double-track system of Free SHS commendable
The government’s decision to phase-out the double-track system for Free Senior High School (FSHS) is commendable and highly welcome.
Ghana implemented the double-track system in 2018 to address the extreme congestion in Senior High Schools (SHS) brought on by the Free SHS policy.
In order to make the most use of the facilities already in place, it divides the student body and staff into two alternating batches, Green and Gold. This allows one track to attend classes while the other is on vacation.
Despite greatly increasing access to education, the double-track system has brought up serious difficulties.
In actuality, it has decreased the number of teacher contact hours, which has had a detrimental effect on students’ academic achievement and syllabus completion. Teachers are compelled to teach year-round due to the lack of regular vacation time, which results in fatigue, lower job satisfaction, and less time for professional growth.
Additionally, parents have bitterly complained that their “off-track” children’s extended breaks sometimes lead to laziness since they are disconnected from their academic routines and easily forget what they have been taught.
To help their children stay on top of their schoolwork, some parents use private tutoring which they claim is expensive. Others claim the system is exceedingly complex and indeed it needs to be addressed.
Another unsettling problem is that constant, year-round use of school buildings provides little to no time for regular maintenance, repairs, and cleaning of classrooms and dorms, all of which can have an adverse effect on students’ health.
What is more disturbing is that despite the enormous spikes in student enrollment, there is delayed supply of funds and insufficient food supply which schools frequently have to deal with.
The Spectator is pleased that the government is actively modernising facilities nationwide in order to phase out the double-tract system.
We are happy that the government has successfully completed negotiations with the World Bank to secure $300 million funds to end the double-track system in 2029.
This was announced by the Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu when he addressed the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency in Accra last week.
We are hopeful that the STARR-J Project (Secondary Education Transformation for Access, Relevance and Results for Jobs), an educational initiative by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the World Bank aimed at expanding equitable access, upgrading facilities, and completely phasing out the double-track system will be feasible.
The government’s promise that under the initiative 210 senior high, technical and vocational schools will benefit from infrastructure expansion and upgrades is laudable. This includes the rehabilitation and expansion of 150 schools through the construction of additional classrooms, dormitories and laboratories.
When completed, the Double-Track System will be eliminated. Parents will heave a sigh of relief and teachers will not be overstretched.
Dear Editor,
The recent shooting to death of Javits Frimpong, a 15 year old Ghanaian student in Bronx, USA, is a heartbreaking reminder that bullying should never be dismissed as a normal part of growing up.
Reports indicate that the teenager had allegedly been subjected to bullying at school before he was fatally shot on his way to class.
While investigations continue and the exact motive yet to be officially established, the circumstances surrounding this tragedy have raised serious concerns about the impact of not checking bullying.
What makes this loss even more painful is that Javits Frimpong, had moved from Ghana to the United States with hopes of a brighter future through education. Instead, his life was cut short at an age when he should have been pursuing his dreams and preparing for adulthood.
Bullying is often viewed as harmless teasing, but its effects can be severe and long-lasting. Victims may suffer emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, and, in extreme cases, become entangled in violence.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call to schools everywhere. Complaints of bullying must be taken seriously, investigated promptly, and addressed decisively before situations escalate.
Parents, teachers, school authorities, and community leaders all share a responsibility to create safe environments for young people.
Open communication, counselling services, anti-bullying education, and effective disciplinary measures can help protect vulnerable students.
Equally important is teaching young people respect, empathy, and peaceful conflict resolution.
As we mourn the loss of Javits Frimpong, let us also commit ourselves to ensuring that no other child loses their life because warning signs were ignored. The fight against bullying is not merely a school issue; it is a societal responsibility.
Yours faithfully,
Dansoman
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The recent report that 294 teenage girls in the Ayawaso West Municipality failed to receive their Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a depressing reminder of the gap between medical progress and public trust.
In a focused campaign with 997 girls the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal Health Directorate reached a 70 percent coverage rate. Our public health professionals deserve praise for reaching 703 girls, but the remaining 30 percent pose a serious threat.
This shortfall is not due to a lack of institutional effort, logistics, or resources. The directorate had sufficient logistics, as highlighted by Public Health Nurse Patience Adoli Kporxah. Rather, the barrier was completely human: a lack of parental approval.
In Ghana, one of the top causes of cancer-related mortality for women is still cervical cancer. Ironically, it is also one of the most avoidable. The HPV vaccine is widely acknowledged as a safe, highly effective barrier that, when given early, can prevent up to 90 percent of cervical cancers.
Parents are unknowingly leaving their daughters vulnerable to a virus that they will probably come into contact with in the future by withholding approval.
This initiative was not initiated in secret by the health directorate. They coordinated with churches, mosques, and media outlets, spoke at Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, and sent letters to schools as part of their broad public outreach efforts. However, around 300 parents continued to withhold their signatures in spite of these multi-dimensional approaches.
Why is this resistance still present? Fear, cultural taboos, and false information about vaccines and reproductive health on the internet are the main causes of vaccine hesitation rather than an intent to hurt a child. When a vaccination is administered to young teenagers in schools, it may cause unjustified concerns about fertility and sexuality.
Our public health initiatives need to change in order to close this gap before the November and December phases.
Letters and the mass media are important, but they are unable to provide precise, worried answers. During PTA meetings, health staff could think about holding direct question and answer sessions so parents may express their worries without fear of being judged.
In order to normalise the vaccine, community elders, religious leaders, and reputable local physicians must do more than simply impart knowledge; they must openly support it.
We must present the HPV vaccine as a standard, life-saving cancer prevention tool that is now completely incorporated into Ghana’s regular immunisation programme.
The entrance is still open, according to public health officials. Daughters who did not participate in the school-based activity can still get the vaccination at no cost by taking them to any government health institution.
We must work together to prevent cervical cancer in the future generation. The infrastructure, education, and dosages have been supplied by public health teams. The trust must now be provided by the parents of Ayawaso West and Ghana as a whole.
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