Double Track to Cost Gov’t GH¢400M in Teaching Cost

Amongst other costs associated with the effectual continuation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS)programme and implementation of the Double Track System (DTS), government is saddling up to absorb a whooping GH¢400 million in teaching cost for the 2018/2019 academic year.

According to the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, this amount would be split between the traditional teaching cost for teachers and other academic intervention plans.

To cater for the services of 8,872 teachers needed in the implementation of the DTS, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said a unit cost of GH¢ 30,120 per teacher would be needed annually―subsequently amounting to GH¢267,224,640.

Taking his turn at the Meet the Press series held in Accra, yesterday, the minister said, “by our calculations, we said we need 8,872 teachers. These teachers would be gainfully employed and not short termed.”

Extra Classes

Government says it would further absorb the cost of extra classes for students on campus and on vacation under its yet-to-happen Double track System.

In the coming academic year, the Education Minister said, “government is going to provide per head GH¢50 to every student as academic intervention, where the teachers if they have to organize extra lessons in Maths and English, will not charge their students… government will give them money to be able to pay for those extra classes.”

Dr. Opoku Prempeh added that for students who would break frequently on the DTS, government will provide centres in the constituencies for them to engage and meet with teachers for extra academic interventions.

For 1,116,495 students in the 690 schools spread across the country, government will have to find GH¢ 55,824,750 to pay for its academic intervention plans.

“Government has to find the money to cater for that…that is what cabinet decided we have to find the money…we need to liaise with the ministry of finance not only to find financial clearance but to make sure that that money is found because government regards education as the bedrock of national development,” the minister said.

Double Track saves GH¢1B

Meanwhile, the minister argues that the double system may have saved government over GH¢1 Billion.

If government should deal with the situation afront, Dr. Prempeh said they would have spent over GH¢400 million on building classrooms, GH¢82 million for students’ furniture and GH¢3 million for teachers’ furniture.

The other costs would have gone into dormitories and beds―costing GH¢539 million and GH¢41 million, respectively.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]