Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, a former Minister for Education, has defended Ghana’s double-track system, arguing that its critics have overlooked the academic improvements recorded by some schools after its introduction.
Adutwum said the system became a political issue even though he believes the results show that it helped expand access without necessarily damaging academic performance.
“It was misconstrued, bastardized, politicized,” he said.
He pointed to Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, saying the school admitted about 500 additional students under the double-track arrangement while its academic performance improved.
He also cited Achimota School, saying its performance did not diminish after the system was introduced.
Adutwum said his defence of double-track is also informed by his experience teaching in a double-track school in the United States for 10 years.
He further cited the Brookings Institution, which he said described Ghana’s double-track programme as one of Africa’s most innovative education programmes.
Adutwum said the academic figures before and after the introduction of double-track should therefore be considered when assessing the programme.
In 2015, before Free SHS and double-track, the pass rate was 45.2% in English, 28.7% in Integrated Science and 32.4% in Mathematics.
For the first double-track cohort examined in 2020, English rose to 57.34%, Integrated Science to 52%, Mathematics to 65% and Social Studies to 64%.
By 2023, English had reached 73%, Integrated Science 66%, Mathematics 62% and Social Studies 76%.
“Politicians are our own worst enemies,” Adutwum said, arguing that political arguments have sometimes prevented a proper assessment of what happened in the education system.
