The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that every district, municipal and metropolitan directorate of education will receive a pick-up vehicle to facilitate their work of supervision, and help deliver quality education.

He also pledged government would deal with challenges hindering the enhancement of the Free Senior High School to keep the policy alive for the benefit of every Ghanaian. With 1.2 million children currently enrolled in senior high schools across the country, the highest such enrolment in Ghana’s history, the President explained that the expansion in access, automatically, brought with it a problem of infrastructure.

“I assure all of you that Government will deal with the issues as they arise, and ensure that we continue to invest in the education and skills training of our young people, as the investment represents the best hope for the social and economic future of our country,” the President said.

Speaking at the 68th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Opoku Ware School, on Saturday, 7th March, 2020, President Akufo-Addo said that the problem of addressing the infrastructure deficit “was an excellent and exciting one, because more children wanting to go to school beyond junior high school was good news.”

He continued, “Our position is that every child who qualifies to be in senior high school must be given the opportunity to do so.”

The provision of access to 1.2 million children, he said, has entailed innovation in the usage of the resources available, and it is out of this that the idea of the double track system was born, a system that has worked well in many other jurisdictions.

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By implementing the double track system, President Akufo-Addo said Government has been able to ensure the best possible use of the space and assets available in schools, throughout the year.

“Schools, that operate the double track system, have increased their SHS 1 intake by up to fifty percent (50%) of their usual capacity. This has given many young students a better opportunity to enter our elite schools, such as Opoku Ware, than was previously the case”, he added.

Whilst acknowledging that the implementation of the double track system was not going to be an easy path, the President said Government has is addressing the deficit in infrastructure.

“We are investing heavily in infrastructure, particularly in our double track schools. Here at Opoku Ware School, for example, Government has already completed the construction of a twelve-unit classroom block, which I understand is currently in use, together with the provision of one thousand, five hundred (1,500) sets of tables and chairs. Government is constructing a new four-storey dormitory block, work on which is progressing steadily. In total, nine hundred and sixty-two (962) structures are being constructed in schools across the country,” he said.