Effectiveness of Free Senior High School Double Track Policy System and Its Impact on Student Performance in the Nkoranza North and South District, Ghana

Abstract

Ghana educational system has over the years gone through various reforms through the introduction of varied policies and programs aimed at bringing quality and affordable education to the doorstep of its citizens. Recently introduced at the secondary level is the free senior high school policy which seeks to improve both enrollment and performance of students. The increase in enrollment numbers resulted in the adoption of the double track system to deal with the problem of inadequate infrastructure that most of these second cycle institutions are grabbling with. This study, therefore, documents the impact of the free senior high school policy in its current practicein Ghana; precisely, in the Nkoranza North and South Districts. Through both structured and semi-structured interviews, it was observed that the policy has resulted in increased enrollment of students, reduced class sizes, improved contact hours between students and teachers and more holidays for enough rest. However, the double track system was observed to besaddled with numerous challenges. They included inadequate stakeholder consultation, inadequate infrastructure, untimely disbursement of funds, poor meals and increased financial burden on parents. It is against this backdrop that the study recommends that government should established sustainable funding sources, undertake massive infrastructure expansion, broader stakeholder consultation on the policy sustainability and political commitment in policy implementation.