President John Dramani Mahama has said the government’s plan to phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHSs) will improve academic performance by restoring longer contact hours between teachers and students.
According to the President, the double-track arrangement has reduced the amount of time teachers spend with students, affecting the quality of teaching and learning and, ultimately, students’ preparation for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Speaking on Thursday, August 13, 2026, during his first-day tour of the Upper East Region, President Mahama said government’s decision to end the system was aimed at creating better conditions for effective teaching and learning.
“We realised that one of the things affecting Free Senior High School was the reduced contact hours between the students and the teachers,” he said.
He explained that ending the double-track system would allow students and teachers to spend more time together in the classroom.
“So, we believe that if we end the double-track, it will increase the student-teacher contact hours and we believe that will improve their performance in the WAEC exams,” President Mahama added.
The President said the government had set the end of 2027 as the target for completely phasing out the double-track system.
He noted, however, that achieving the target would depend largely on the expansion of school infrastructure to accommodate all students under a single-track arrangement.
The government is therefore expected to continue investing in additional classrooms and other facilities as part of efforts to create the capacity needed to accommodate students when the double-track system is fully phased out.
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