President John Dramani Mahama has affirmed that the government’s decision to phase out the double-track system in Senior High Schools will improve students’ academic performance by increasing contact hours between teachers and students.
He attributed the decline in the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in the preparation of students for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), to reduced interaction between teachers and students under the double-track system.
Speaking during his first-day tour of the Upper East Region on Thursday, August 13, 2026, President Mahama said ending the system would restore longer periods of teacher-student engagement and create better conditions for learning.
“We realised that one of the things affecting Free Senior High School was the reduced contact hours between the students and the teachers.
“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,” he said.
To facilitate the transition, the government has set the end of 2027 as the target for completing the phase-out of the double-track system, subject to the expansion of infrastructure needed to accommodate all students.
