Free SHS: ‘Double track system is a very clever idea’ - Founder of Ashesi University

The Founder and President of Ashesi University, Dr. Patrick Awuah, has commended the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration for implementing the double-track system in public Senior High Schools across Ghana.

According to Dr. Awuah, the double-track system has allowed students to have more contact hours with teachers, contrary to public misconceptions about reduced learning time.

Dr. Awuah, an engineer, educator, and entrepreneur, explained that the public’s misunderstanding of the system’s benefits may be due to inadequate communication about its advantages.

“I don't know whose idea it was to introduce two tracks – where students attend school for six months and spend six months at home. It's a very clever idea. Before this shift, students were in school for seven months and out for five. This meant that for five months each year, school infrastructure was left idle.

“With the new system, the work that previously spanned seven months is now covered in six, with more contact hours per day. As a result, even though students are in school for only six months instead of seven, they actually have more contact hours now than before,” Dr. Awuah shared in a viral video seen by GhanaWeb.

He further noted, “I don't think this has been communicated well enough to Ghanaians. People don’t understand why the system was necessary or how increased contact hours provide the education students need.”

Dr. Awuah also highlighted that the double-track system makes efficient use of Ghana’s educational resources, ensuring that infrastructure is not left idle for extended periods.

He emphasized that if the system is perfected, it could serve as a model for other countries to learn from.

“The reason I think it's a clever idea is that it maximizes our assets. Ghana does not have unlimited resources, and the population is growing at a rate that could double in 30 years. Building enough schools for the current and future population would take 20 years.

“This idea not only helps Ghana tackle the problem of educational access but, if done right, could become a model for the entire continent,” he concluded.

Watch his remarks in the video below:



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