GES engages private SHSs for Free SHS Placements, public SHS congestion to end double-track

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has commenced talks with private Senior High Schools on how they can partner with the government of Ghana under the Free SHS policy to help absorb or enrol some BECE graduates in private SHS. The move is part of the government’s plan to reduce the overplacement of students into public SHS to reduce congestion and bring back the double-track system introduced by the previous government led by former President Nana Addo, a policy that introduced several bottlenecks into the country’s education sector.

The initiative is expected to help phase out the double-track system, which has disrupted the academic calendar since its introduction.

The plan was made public on May 14, 2025, through a statement posted on the GES Facebook page following a meeting in Accra, led by the Director-General of GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis.

According to Professor Davis, private schools will be used to absorb some of the pressure on public institutions by providing space, facilities, and trained teachers to support FSHS students.

“Private schools across Ghana have the capacity to support free education, helping us manage student numbers and improve learning conditions,” he said.

Professor Davis was joined at the meeting by his deputies, Professor Smile Dzisi and Dr Munawaru Issahaque.

The double-track system, introduced to accommodate growing enrolment under the FSHS policy, splits students into alternating groups, with one group in school while the other waits at home.

It has faced criticism from parents and students, especially in densely populated areas where public schools are overstretched.

Representatives of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools (CHOPSS), who were also present at the meeting, welcomed the plan.

They said their members were prepared to offer support by profiling their schools for inclusion in the FSHS placement scheme.

“Our members are ready to ease the burden on public schools while maintaining quality education,” a CHOPSS official said. They believe the arrangement could help restore normal school schedules and bring an end to the shift system.

Also present at the meeting was the National Coordinator of the FSHS Secretariat, Honourable Benita Sena Okitey Duah.

She noted that families have struggled with the irregular school timetable caused by the double-track system and described the initiative as timely.

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“This partnership will mean better classrooms and steadier timetables for students, easing the stress on families,” she said.

The GES move follows President John Mahama’s address on May, 7, 2025, in which he announced measures to improve education under his 120-day social contract.

Professor Davis said the GES will soon begin assessing private schools nationwide to determine which ones can be used to accommodate FSHS students.