Akufo-Addo building bigger blocks than Mahama’s E-blocks – Dr. Adutwum

The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has stated that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is constructing classroom blocks in the various public schools across the country which are bigger than the E-blocks built by the erstwhile Mahama administration.

Dr Adutwum said the government is working to ensure that the double-track system is abolished by building infrastructure that would contain all senior high school students under the Free SHS policy.

Some parents have expressed dissatisfaction about the double-track system, which they complain does not accord their wards enough learning time and stay in school.

Speaking with Kwabena Prah Jnr on “Ghana Yensom” on Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom program on Monday, 27 January 2020, Dr Adutwum called on such parents to calm down, adding that the needed classroom blocks are being built to phase out the double-track system.

Dr Adutwum also denied the claim that the double-track system accords students less time in school, describing it as propaganda fuelled by the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He said it is impossible to cancel the double-track system under the Free SHS policy within a period of two to three years, stressing that the government can only do so when the needed infrastructure is in place.

Dr Adutwum indicated that the government can only cancel the double-track system when there is a cut off in enrolment.

“There’s no need to play politics with education, no student spends more time in the house than he/she spends in school, it’s never true, don’t pay attention to NDC’s propaganda”, he said, adding: “I will urge parents to get the academic calendar, there is no way we will allow students to spend less time in schools; all students spend 8 months in school. The government wants students to be in schools at the same time so that the double-track system will be abolished, that is why the government is constructing classroom blocks much bigger than the E-blocks built by the erstwhile Mahama administration. The schools we are building are unprecedented,” the Deputy Minister of Education said.

He debunked claims that the government is destroying Ghana’s education with the double-track system.