Parliamentary Committee Assesses Challenges in Greater Accra Senior High Schools

Members of Parliament’s Select Committee on Education conducted an inspection tour of several senior high schools in the Greater Accra Region this week, evaluating the effects of the double-track system and gathering insights to shape future policy interventions.

The delegation visited Chemu SHS, Accra Girls’ SHS, Achimota School, Accra High School, and Accra Academy, engaging with administrators, teachers, and students to assess operational challenges.

At Chemu SHS, the headmistress highlighted the school’s strong performance in the National Science and Maths Quiz but appealed for urgent completion of a stalled six-unit classroom block and improved boarding facilities.

Accra Girls’ SHS reported a 95.4% pass rate in the 2024 WASSCE but raised concerns about infrastructure gaps, including an undersized assembly hall and outdated library. School authorities also warned that the double-track system’s extended home periods for students heightened risks of teenage pregnancy.

Achimota School’s headmaster, Ebenezer Graham Acquaah, noted the institution’s return to a regular academic calendar but cited lingering teacher fatigue from the double-track system. He emphasized the need for enhanced security measures across campus.

Accra Academy’s leadership reported steady academic improvement, with WASSCE pass rates consistently above 80% since 2021. However, the headmaster, Emmanuel Ofoe Fiemawhle, stressed the urgent need for an 18-unit classroom block to alleviate congestion caused by the double-track system.

Committee Chairman Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe commended the schools for maintaining educational standards amid challenges and assured stakeholders their findings would inform parliamentary action. “We’ve witnessed both excellence and pressing needs that require immediate policy attention,” he stated, pledging to prioritize infrastructure development and system refinements in upcoming legislative deliberations.

The fact-finding mission comes as Ghana’s education sector continues to grapple with the legacy of the double-track system, implemented in 2018 to accommodate Free SHS enrollment surges. Education analysts suggest the committee’s findings could influence upcoming budget allocations and potential system modifications.