A nationwide poll conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says that the majority of Ghanaians believe the double-track system has negatively affected the quality of Senior High School (SHS) education.

The survey found that 64.7 per cent of respondents believe the system has reduced the quality of secondary education.

"By comparison, only 20.2% of respondents believe that the system has improved the quality of secondary education, while 14.7% said it has had no effect and 0.2% expressed no opinion," the report said.

The IEA said the findings suggest that the expansion in access to secondary education under the system may have come at the expense of education quality.

“Although the system enabled more students to access secondary education, the poll suggests that many Ghanaians believe this expansion in access has come at the expense of education quality,” the report said.

The double-track system was introduced in 2018 following the implementation of the Free SHS policy in 2017 by the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

The arrangement was designed to address pressure on existing school infrastructure by dividing students into two groups that take turns attending school.

The IEA said the system enabled the government to accommodate the sharp increase in SHS enrolment despite limited infrastructure.

"While the Double-Track System helped the government accommodate the rapid increase in SHS enrolment, concerns remain about its implications for the quality of education."

The poll surveyed 1,062 respondents across all 16 regions of Ghana as part of efforts to gauge public perceptions of the Double-Track System and the government’s plan to construct additional school infrastructure to eventually phase it out.