Minister calls for Public support on Double track system

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has criticized doubters of the double track system for Free SHS, saying the policy will not affect the quality of teaching and learning in Schools.

Mr. Osei Mensah argued that the rotational sessions in some Churches have not affected the quality of worshiping God over the years hence that is how the double track system should be viewed.

According to him, Churches who go for first, second and third services are in effect practicing the double track system since the facilities at those Churches cannot accommodate the huge number of congregants.

Speaking in an interview after addressing the Muslim Community at the Kumasi Central mosque as part of the Edul-Adha celebrations yesterday, he maintained that the double track system will not affect the quality of education.

“We have some of the Christian churches and because the church cannot take the number of people in the church, they have first service, second service third service, fourth service. Do they receive lower quality preaching or teaching?”- he said.

Meanwhile, 400 out of the 696 public SHSs have been selected to operate the system.

The new programme creates a calendar of two semesters in a year for the SHS 1 class, containing 81 days per each semester and 41 days of vacation for a sandwich class.

“If you are a Christian and you are talking against the second service, then why do you go to the second service? Why do you go there at all. It is not going to reduce the quality. It is going to solve a problem for almost everybody who qualifies to go to senior high school to go to Senior High School free of charge.” – he added.

Over 8,000 teachers are being recruited to handle the sandwich classes, so teachers are not deprived of their holidays.