Africa Education Watch is urging government to rethink its strategy for eliminating the double-track system, insisting that expanding school infrastructure alone won’t permanently resolve the problem. The call follows new allocations in the national budget, which commits about GH¢4.2 billion—roughly 42% of GETFund resources—to sustain the Free SHS programme in 2026, rising from GH¢3.5 billion in the previous year.
Beyond that amount, an extra GH¢1.1 billion has been earmarked for the Ghana Secondary Learning Improvement Programme (GSLIP), a two-year intervention designed to phase out the double-track arrangement. The programme includes upgrades to 50 schools across Categories A, B, and C, along with the completion of 30 outstanding E-block projects to boost classroom capacity.
Eduwatch believes that the planned physical expansion, while helpful, cannot, by itself, eliminate double tracking unless the Ministry of Education enhances the efficiency of the School Selection and Placement System. The organisation argues that timely disbursement of funds and strong public monitoring will be crucial if government expects to meet its two-year target for ending the policy.
Their analysis of the 2026 Budget suggests that without a more reliable placement mechanism, even extensive construction work will not be enough to fully resolve the persistent double-track situation.
