NewzA majority of Ghanaians who believe the double-track System has reduced the quality of Senior High School (SHS) education support the government’s proposal to borrow funds to construct additional schools and phase out the system, a poll by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has found. According to a report issued by the IEA on Tuesday, September 15, 60.8 per cent of respondents who said the double-track system had reduced education quality support government borrowing to construct additional SHS infrastructure. However, 38.4 per cent of respondents in the same group oppose the proposal, reflecting concerns over Ghana’s public debt burden.
The IEA said the findings suggest that while many Ghanaians see infrastructure expansion as necessary to improve the quality of secondary education, there are also concerns about the financial implications of using borrowed funds. “This finding suggests that a significant proportion of those dissatisfied with the quality of education see expanded infrastructure as an important means of improving the quality of secondary education,” the IEA said. The institute, however, noted that those opposed to additional borrowing would prefer other ways of financing the construction of schools.
“For these respondents, expanding SHS infrastructure through additional borrowing could further increase pressure on public finances. “They would therefore prefer the government to explore alternative financing mechanisms for the construction of additional school infrastructure,” it said. The findings form part of a nationwide IEA poll on public perceptions of the double-track system and the government’s plan to borrow to construct additional SHS infrastructure and ultimately eliminate the system.
Overall, 64.7 per cent of the 1,062 respondents surveyed across all 16 regions said the double-track system had contributed to a decline in the quality of SHS education. The system was introduced in 2018 after the implementation of the Free SHS policy led to a sharp increase in enrolment and placed pressure on existing school infrastructure. Under the arrangement, students were divided into two groups that take turns attending school to enable more students to be accommodated within available facilities.
The IEA said the overall findings point to a public preference for expanding SHS infrastructure, but stressed the need for the government to care… A nationwide poll conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has found that more than half of Ghanaians support the government’s proposal to borrow funds to construct additional Senior High School (SHS) infrastructure and ultimately eliminate the double-track system. The survey showed that 54.3 per cent of respondents supported the proposal, while 38.4 per cent opposed it and 6.2 per cent expressed no opinion.
The IEA said the relatively strong support for additional borrowing could be linked to the continued pressure on existing SHS infrastructure following the increase in enrolment under the Free SHS policy. “The relatively strong support for additional borrowing may, in part, reflect continued pressure on existing SHS infrastructure arising from high enrolment levels,” the institute said. It added that “for many Ghanaians, expanding school infrastructure appears to be necessary to address the capacity constraints associated with the implementation of Free SHS.” The government introduced the double-track system in 2018 as a temporary response to inadequate infrastructure after the introduction of the Free SHS policy.
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