The government is satisfied with the progress of expansion works of educational infrastructure senior high schools to deal with challenges created by the Free Senior High School policy.
The Deputy Minister-in-charge of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, in an interview with Citi News, disclosed that contractors working on the projects are expected to complete work before the commencement of the 2019/2020 academic year.
The ministers was inspecting ongoing projects at the Bolgatanga Girls, Navrongo and Bolgatanga Senior High Schools in the Upper East Region.
Dr. Adutwum said the contractors are working speedily to end the double-track system.
He also described his engagement with students in the schools his team toured as very ‘exciting’.
The Deputy Education Minister explained that students going to the second year in their Senior High School education will not have to be on the double-track system again as the contractor has assured of early completion of projects.
“At this juncture, I am excited about the possibility that the contractor will be able to finish so that going to form 2, the so that the students will not have to be on a double track that is what we have always planned and have been assured by the contractor that things are on track and I have seen it for myself so it is a very exciting day when we get to speak to our children.”
Over 200 double-track teachers demand unpaid salaries
A week ago, over two hundred teachers who have been employed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to run the double-track system under the Free SHS programme in the Upper West disclosed they are yet to receive their salaries almost a year into their engagement.
The teachers under the umbrella name, Concerned Newly Recruited Teachers said they have not been given Staff IDs which will enable them to engage the GES for their salaries.
“We have not been paid because we do not have staff IDs. You are to have a staff ID under biometric registration before you are paid. We do not know how much we are to be paid a month,” a teacher said.
“…From November [2018] till date, I have not received a staff ID. Nothing relating to payment has been made. It is the duty of the Accra people to work on it. You need to dress decently,” another said.