Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and MP for Kintampo North, Joseph Kwame Kumah, says Ghana must invest in more school infrastructure to successfully move senior high schools from the double-track system to single-track.
Speaking after visiting several schools in the Western Region, Mr Kumah said each school would need at least a 12-unit or 20-unit classroom block to support the transition. He called for a complete overhaul of the senior high school system to meet these needs.
“We need urgent action to address the classroom shortage. Dining halls meant for 600 students are serving over 4,500, forcing them to eat in shifts,” he said.
The MP’s comments came at the end of a three-week nationwide tour by the Education Committee to assess challenges in private universities and public senior high schools. The goal was to find solutions to improve operations and ensure sustainability.
During the tour, the team visited schools such as Archbishop Porter Girls’ SHS, Adiembra SHS, Takoradi SHS, and Ahantaman Girls’ SHS. While all schools had challenges, Adiembra SHS stood out for its lack of dormitories, assembly hall, school field, and ongoing land encroachment.
The headmaster, William Takyi Mensah, said they need an 18-classroom block, dormitories for both boys and girls, and an assembly hall. However, part of the school’s land has been taken over by private homes.
Mr Kumah warned that if political debates continue to delay school infrastructure projects, the Free SHS policy may become unsustainable in the future.
“If we don’t complete the stalled projects within the next eight years, the Free SHS program me might collapse. We can’t delay them for 20 or 30 years and expect success,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Committee, Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kortoe, praised school heads for managing their institutions well despite these difficulties. He urged the government to provide the resources needed to remove the double-track system and support teachers and students better.
