Gov’t to absorb Extra Classes Fees – Education Min.

By Justice Dzido On Aug 7, 2018

Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

The Ministry of Education has announced plans by the government to absorb the cost of the extra classes fee for students in school and on vacation under the Double-Track-System.
Under the new system, teaching hours will increase from six hours per day to eight hours per day.

Teaching hours are expected to increase from 1,080 hours per year under the current single-track system, to 1,134 hours per year under the proposed double-track system.

Speaking on the free SHS double track system at a press conference in Accra, the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh noted government was going to provide 50 cedis to every student to cater for the extra tuition.

“Government is going to provide per head, ₵50 cedis to every student as an academic intervention where the teachers if they have to organize extra lessons in Maths and English, will not charge the students but the government will give them money to be able to pay for the extra tuition”.

When asked about when the blueprint for the double track system will be made public, he noted it would be made available on the Education’s Ministry’s website.

He added the double–track system will only affect fresh SHS one students and for only selected schools. He noted the double track is to enable the government to create room in the school over the perceived increase in enrolment, reduce class sizes, increase contact hours among others.

Responding to questions concerning the availability of the needed staff to teach the students in each track, he noted The Nation Builders Corps(NABCO), had got applications from more teachers, hence, some teachers will be sourced from there.

The double tracking system has been slammed by Former President John Dramani Mahama and a litany of think tanks including IMANI Africa and ISODEC as needless.

ISODEC, for instance, attributed lack of due diligence on the part of government before implementing the fee-free education policy as the cause of the current crisis the nation is experiencing at the SHS level.