Retrospective Assessment of the Successes and Challenges of Double Track system in Senior High Schools in Sekyere Central District of Ghana

Abstract

In our world today, education has gained the recognition as one of the ways of enhancing standards of living and achieving developmental goals. The double tract system was an intervention strategy which was introduced by the government of Ghana to help solved the challenges involved in the Free Senior High School policy programme. This study sought to identify the successes and challenges of the double track system in senior high schools in Sekyere central district. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey and quantitative method to collect data from randomly sampled 150 teachers, 300 students and 150 parents in senior high schools in Sekyere central district. Structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. The results of the study showed that the double track system has led to improvement in teacher-student ratio, increased contact hours, efficient use of school resources and the employment of new teachers. On the contrary, the study identified inadequate stakeholders’ consultation prior to its implementation, inadequate provision of logistics and funds by the governments, incompletion of syllabus owing to increased number of holidays, difficulties in maintaining school facilities as a result of all year usage as the major challenges confronting the implementation of double track system. Moreover, majority of teachers perceived that the intervention has not positively affected quality of education at the senior high school because of several setbacks whiles majority of parents and students were of the view that the intervention has positively affected quality of education at the senior high school level. I therefore recommend that government should ensure adequate supply of resources for effective management of this programme in the various senior high schools.

Keywords: double track system, senior high school, successes, challenges, perception, quality of education