Government Partners Private Schools to Expand SHS Access and End Double-Track System
The Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) and the Conference of Heads of Private Secondary Schools (CHOPSS) to strengthen collaboration between the government and private schools in expanding access to Senior High School (SHS) education.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing persistent challenges within the education sector, particularly those arising from the double-track system — a policy introduced to manage overcrowding in public SHSs.
“This partnership represents a bold step toward ending the double-track system and ensuring that every Ghanaian child has access to quality secondary education,” he stated.
Under the new agreement, the government will place SHS students in accredited private schools to help decongest public schools. So far, 25,000 students have already been placed in private institutions as part of the initiative.
To support the transition, the Education Minister announced that the government will provide a stipend of at least GH₵250 per student, which will help facilitate the smooth integration of students into private schools and sustain the partnership.
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Mr. Iddrisu added that the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) will assess participating private schools to ensure they meet the required academic and infrastructural standards. Schools that fall short of the criteria will be given time to make the necessary improvements before inclusion in the placement scheme.
He also commended GNACOPS and CHOPSS for their collaboration, describing the initiative as a joint effort to bridge educational inequalities and guarantee fair access to quality education across the country.
“Education remains the cornerstone of national development. This collaboration demonstrates our shared responsibility to provide every Ghanaian child with the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed,” Mr. Iddrisu emphasized.
The partnership is expected to benefit thousands of students who would otherwise have struggled to secure placement in public SHSs due to limited infrastructure.
With this move, the Ministry of Education aims to expand access, improve quality, and gradually phase out the double-track system, advancing Ghana’s broader goal of achieving universal secondary education.
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