Dean of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, Prof. Kofi Agyekum aka Opanin Agyekum, has welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Education to adopt a double tracking system for students who will be admitted into SHS1 in September for the 2018/2019 academic year.
He has, however, urged the Ministry of Education to run it on a pilot basis before fully implementing it.
Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Opanyin Agyekum said the idea is good but there there is the need for broader consultation with stakeholders before the rollout of the double-track system to avoid a ‘half-baked’ system.
"We are dealing with the future of our kids and so care must be taken. September is just around the corner. Left to me alone, more school buildings should be constructed, more teachers should be trained and for now, it should be piloted in some of the schools for a year to see the outcome," he indicated.
Background
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says, from September 2018, Government will implement the double intake system for new entrants into the country’s public Senior High Schools, which will address the growing numbers of students benefitting from the Free SHS policy.
According to President Akufo-Addo, because of the large number of students likely to be admitted to SHS, there was high propensity for the schools to have large class sizes.
With the introduction of the double intake system, he said, the size of classes would be reduced, a situation which was key to ensuring quality
education.
But the announcement of the proposed double intake system has been met with mixed reactions. While some have expressed support for it, others are very apprehensive of the initiative, saying it will affect the quality of education.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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how many programs in this country have been fully implemented after d piloting??? at least for d past 10 years??? Ghanaians talk tooo much... we all know free shs is expensive... we all know quality may b compromised... we all know d enrollment will increase... we all know we lack infrastructure... none of ds can be solved in the short term... so how will piloting ds solve d situation??? are we not fed up with partially solving situations in this country??? sometimes is best to b autocratic...
i suported the pilot, it should be at the GRADE A SCHOOLS.when it star from GRADE A SCHOOL , IT WILL NEVER FAIL. BECOUSE EVERY GHANAIAN WANT HIS/HER CHILD BE AT THAT SCHOOL. ALSO ABOUT 80% OF GRADE A SCHOOL STUDENT ARE SERIOUS IF GOVERNMENT START WITH GRADE D SCHOOLS GOVERMENT WILL GET PROBLEM PILOTED WOULD BE GOOD FOR GRADE A SCHOOL FOR THE START.
They are opposed to everything. They sound like an opposition party.
I respect IMANI as an Institution, a Think Tank, and what they do. But it is rather becoming too rampant nowadays, rather, bossy and arrogant in terms of the language Mr. Cudjoe uses to get his opinion expressed. To me, he seems, to sound too self-opinionated and portray himself as the one, who always thinks he knows the best. From the very onset, we are aware of IMANI 's stance against the Free SHS in terms of its universal funding. But IMANI has not come out, categorically, to say how they are going to implement it so as to exclude those who can afford to pay. This stance to date just stands populistic in space and IMANI keeps on hammering it. The usage of vouchers sounds simple, but how are you going to identify parents who are going to be issued with vouchers in our communities, in the first place. It will be the same parents who are formally captured in our small tax net. And that will mean double burden. You see, the politicians do not have the luxury of time to prepare comprehensively for implementation of all policies. The four-year mandate is too short a time to make a tangible impact in the political space to accord you the two-term mandate. In our part of the world political space and the practice of multiparty democracy, the term continuity of policy by the opposition Party then in power is near alien. Indeed the goodwill of the NPP should be acknowledged and encouraged to start their programmes, make mistakes along the line, accept meaningful inputs, and correct them going forward. I think our circumstance to date makes this option plausible. IMANI should stop threatening and be issuing an ultimatum. Informed criticism and meaningful dialogue will help. But polemics, populism and the excesses of the likes won't help.
Opayin Agyekum still doesn't understand why this policy, it is not just a mere thing o but a necessity, so, where from the piloting. 181000 kids and who so we use to pilot.
I think running the new system on a pilot basis is a laudable idea. I hope the authorities will pay heed to Prof Kofi Agyekum's suggestion.
Ablakwa was talking about poor planning on an article on Ghanaweb. When corporate organizations were building SHS's of similar size and capacity as the ones thiefffffffff Ablakwa was contracting for about Ghc 180,000 cedis, this huge Ghanaian NDC thieffffffff was building it for about 4 or 5 times the price for the same structure. It was so bad one of their own Collins Dauda got pissed and voiced out strongly against what was going on with the stealingggggggg, thievesssssss like this Ablakwa character, was perpetrating on Ghana and Ghanaians. Not only did he complain about the cost, he also spoke strongly against the quality of these structures Ablakwa was bloating the contracts and stealinggggggg, and the ease at which they were crumbling sometimes 6 months after they had been constructed. This thiefffffff Ablakwa is here talking about planning. What did you do with your plan for infrastructure except to stealllllll? ***barred word*** and let the human beings Ghanaians have mandated to develop this country get on with the noble and serious task of governing and developing this country.
Mr President please the bull has come out already and no chance then to fight it. we have no chance then to give solutions to the problem we have now. it will be good to build class room but we have time . so Mr president please work it now and God bless you