Vice presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general elections, Matthew Opoku Prempeh aka NAPO has said the increase in student numbers under Free SHS put pressure on Ghana’s education system and forced government to expand capacity.
He said the rise in enrolment affected classrooms, teachers, feeding, financing, school placement and school management.
“When more students enter the system, the rest of the system must grow with them,” NAPO posted on social media.
He explained that government introduced Double Track as a temporary measure to accommodate the increased number of students while infrastructure expansion and teacher supply were being strengthened.
NAPO said the experience also exposed weaknesses in the school placement system, arguing that the problem should not be treated as hundreds of separate cases for individual parents to solve.
“Better data, clearer rules, stronger digital support, decentralised resolution and faster feedback can make the system work better for families,” he said.
He said the next phase should focus on making the system more efficient and ensuring that increased access produces better educational outcomes.
“Good ideas matter but execution gives them meaning. And good policy should be strong enough to survive politics,” NAPO said.
