The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced an 11-member committee to guide the reversal from double-track to single-track in SHSs and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs).
Prof. Godwin Awabil, University of Cape Coast (UCC), is the chair of the committee tasked with reviewing the 2024/2025 academic calendar and proposing a roadmap for a single-track.
The committee includes,
Prof. Godwin Awabil, University of Cape Coast (UCC)
Prof. Samuel A. Atintono, PRINCOF
Prof. Smile Gavua Dzisi (Mrs.), Deputy Director-General (Management Service), GES
Dr. Munawaru Issahaque, Deputy Director-General (Quality and Access), GES
D. W. Agbenyo, WAEC
Rosemond Wilson (PhD), WAEC
Mr. Augustus Agyemfra, CODE
Mr. David Odjidja, CHASS
Addo Nicholas Nii Kpakpoe, COHBS
Prince Charles Agyemang-Duah, Schools & Instructions Division, GES
Also, Haruna Iddrisu, has said the former government’s double-track system in Senior High Schools (SHSs) negatively affected the quality of education.
The Education Minister noted that the double-track system reduced contact hours and study time for students in the Senior High School.
Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, August 24, 2025, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “The double-track system has impacted negatively on the quality and outcomes of education under the Free SHS policy. Students have fewer contact hours and less study time, which affects their performance.
“Government’s commitment to ending the system can only be realised at three levels: expanding infrastructure, strengthening digital resources in schools, and allowing private SHSs to absorb qualified students to ease the pressure,” he said at a media briefing.
Haruna Iddrisu, some months ago, revealed that the John Mahama government is taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the Double-Track system at the Senior High School level is phased out by 2027.
The sector minister revealed they are working on a revised curriculum If the government is to succeed in ending the double-track system.
Speaking in an engagement with members of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) at a meeting held in Sunyani in the Bono Region, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “We are working to revise the curriculum…If the government is to succeed in ending the double-track system, not later than Monday, you should have a board so that all expenditures are properly approved by the board.
“We expect that by the year 2027, the double-track system will be a thing of the past,” he added.
However, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, a former Deputy Education Minister, has warned the NDC against cancelling the double track system under the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
According to him, the double-track system was implemented under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government to ease pressure on the limited infrastructure in Senior High Schools.
He indicated that abolishing the double-track system would result in over 500,000 students being unable to go to school.
“Abolishing the double-track system would mean sending 500,000 students home. Our current infrastructure can only support 1 million out of the 1.5 million students,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that senior high schools across the country will reopen in October for the 2025/2026 academic year.
The 2025/2026 academic year will be a single-track and a modified double-track system being referred to as the transitional academic calendars.
The single-track system first-year and second-year students are to report on October 18, 2025, with the third-year students reporting on October 11, 2025.
The first term will run till February 27, 2026, with Christmas break being set from December 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Also, the second term will run from May 4, 2026, and close on August 21, 2026.
In addition, the double track operating the transitional calendar will have first-year reporting on October 18, 2025, and third-year students returning on October 27, 2025.
The second term is expected to start from January 5, 2026, with a five-week online learning period before fully resuming in May.