NAGRAT Calls For Immediate Cancellation Of Double-track And Return To Trimester Calendar

 

Eric Angel Carbonu, National President Of NAGRAT

The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) is calling for the immediate removal of the double-track system and the restoration of the previous three-term academic calendar in second-cycle schools across Ghana. The group contends that the current system breeds doubt and has a detrimental impact on the health of educators.

The double-track system was implemented in 2018 in response to the rise in demand for second-cycle education that came with the establishment of the Free Senior High School policy; it is still in use in 40% of second-cycle schools nationwide. NAGRAT thinks that this approach puts too much strain on teachers because they are required to teach in many tracks and don't get enough time off or rest.

According to Angel Carbonu, teachers frequently need medical attention and must spend a sizeable amount of their income on their personal healthcare, which is a worry. He also emphasized the lack of predictability in the current system, which prevents parents and students from knowing when schools will resume or go on break.

NAGRAT is pleading with the Ghana Education Service to abandon the double-track system within five years, return to the three-term system, and shorten class hours from one hour to forty minutes. The association notes that while non-teaching employees are required to work year-round without breaks, they are likewise impacted by the current system.

In conclusion, he added that if their demands are not met, NAGRAT warns that further action will be taken.