A head porter who graduated from senior high school in 2022, Rukiya, has revealed how she narrowly escaped early marriage during one of the long vacations under the double-track system.

She told myjoyonline.com that she was part of the green track under the double track system. However, during one of the extended vacations, she faced intense pressure from her family and community to get married.

With no school to attend and too much time on her hands, she made a bold decision to flee to Accra to escape the threat of early marriage.

“I was part of the Green Track under the Free SHS system. When our track was on vacation, the Gold Track would takeover, leaving us with months of idle time.

"This system doesn’t give us enough time to study, and when you’re home for three months, the risk of being forced into marriage is very real. They would come with a truck, tie you up, and take you away to be married off. It’s not helping us at all. I knew I had to escape, so I fled to Accra.”

She recounted how she initially struggled to find shelter and to make ends meet upon her arrival in Accra.

“I was able to complete school in 2022, despite all the challenges. When school resumed, I would travel back to Kumasi, where my school was located. When we vacated, I would return to Accra to work and survive.”

Rukiya now working as a headporter is entreating stakeholders in the education to re-evaluate the double track system as part of efforts to protect young girls from being forced into early marriages during extended vacations.

“I want to be somebody in the future and I know there are many other girls like me who need more time in school, not at home where they’re at risk", she recounted.

To accommodate more students and reduce overcrowding in schools, the government, as part of the Free Senior High School Programme, introduced the double-track system, which divides the total student population and staff into two tracks; as one of the tracks attends school, the other is on vacation, and vice versa.

Meanwhile, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, disclosed on May 10, 2024, that 60 percent of Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the country have been taken off the double-track system and are running on single-track.

He said the ministry would ensure that all senior high schools return to the single-track system despite increased enrollment due to the Free SHS programme.

JKB/MA

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