GNAT commends Education Ministry for reversing double-track system.
GNAT Commends Education Ministry for Reversing Double-Track System.
The new arrangement will officially begin on 31st October 2025, when the 2025/2026 academic year starts.
The double-track system was first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as an emergency response to challenges such as limited infrastructure and the need to ensure social distancing in schools. While it allowed more students to access secondary education during that period, the system placed a heavy strain on students, teachers, and facilities. Concerns about irregular timetables, shortened contact hours, and reduced time for extracurricular activities were frequently raised by stakeholders.
With the restoration of the single-track system, the Ministry has assured parents, teachers, and students of a more predictable and stable school calendar. According to officials, this shift will create room for extracurricular programmes—including sports, clubs, and cultural activities—which had suffered under the compressed double-track schedule. Parents are also expected to benefit from the consistency the new calendar brings to family planning and household routines.
Speaking to Citi News, GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Tanko Musah, expressed the union’s full support for the policy shift. He described the return to single-track as a welcome relief and emphasised that it would ease academic pressure on learners and improve the working environment for teachers.
Mr. Musah further highlighted the importance of developing policies that can sustain this transition. He urged the Education Minister and other stakeholders to avoid temporary solutions and instead focus on long-term strategies that will strengthen Ghana’s education system.
“We cannot continue to operate on emergency measures when the conditions that created them no longer exist,” he said. “This decision is in the right direction, but it must be supported with sustainable policies that can stand the test of time and serve future generations.”
Education analysts have also observed that the return to single-track learning could boost the quality of teaching and learning by giving teachers more uninterrupted instructional time. Students, in turn, will have greater opportunities to participate in extracurricular and social development programmes, which are essential for holistic education.
The decision by the Ministry is widely regarded as a step toward restoring stability and normalcy to the country’s academic calendar, which had faced major disruptions in recent years. For many stakeholders, the hope is that this marks the beginning of a more sustainable path for Ghana’s educational future.
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