The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, believes the double track system which is to be implemented in senior high schools across the country is an innovative idea that will increase accessibility.
He has likened the double track system that is to begin in public senior high schools this month, September, to how churches organize services in batches mainly due to lack of space and high numbers.
He said the soaring numbers of Junior High School leavers coupled with government’s policy to tackle poverty through the provision of education makes the double track system viable for the time being.
Dr. Bawumia made the comment when he was addressing the chiefs and people at this year’s Oguaa Fetu Afahye celebrated by the people of Cape Coast in the Central Region.
“The churches have taught us that if you have one church building and you have many churchgoers, you can have one service at 7:00 am and the second service at 9:00 am and they will all still get the word of the Lord. So we are using innovative means to bring in the double track system,” he added.
Speaking on the theme of the festival ‘Restoration of our Heritage: Key to Tourism and Development’, the Vice President also revealed that compared to other sub-Saharan African countries, the contribution of Ghana’s Travel and Tourism sector has been dwindling in recent years in its contribution to the economy of Ghana.
He says the government’s economic policies are meant to restore the macroeconomic stability of the nation that will also boost the tourism sector to attract more tourists.
Dr. Bawumia said, “In 2016, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to this nation's output was
3%; the total direct and indirect contributions come up to about 7%, but Ghana ranked 113 out of 185 countries in terms of our ability to attract tourism investment.”
He says the government’s economic policies are meant to restore the macroeconomic stability of the nation that will also boost the tourism sector to attract more tourists.
Addressing the crowd, the Paramount Chief of the Cape Coast Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, appealed to the government to clarify issues about the double track for Ghanaian to understand the policy.
The Paramount Chief also asked the people of Cape Coast to desist from acts that destroy the coast of Cape Coast such as defecation of the area to promote the ailing tourist industry in the Central
Regional capital.
Osabarima Kwesi Atta II noted that irresponsible acts on the beaches in the area have led to a reduction in the tourists visiting the area.
About double track system
Beginning September 2018, second cycle schools in Ghana will run a semester module as part of moves to address infrastructural challenges brought on by the Free SHS programme.
To this end, some 400 out of the 696 public senior high schools have been selected to operate the system.
The schools would accommodate the over 180,000 students who are expected to gain admission into SHS this year.
This, the government will ensure the fulfillment of its promise of providing equal opportunity for every Ghanaian child to gain access to secondary education.
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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana