Accra, Feb 26, GNA - Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education on Friday announced that the Ministry is developing a programme for the phasing out of the school shift system.

He said the sector has noted with concern the negative effect of the shift system on teaching and learning in the schools and was taking steps to redress the situation.

Mr Tettey-Enyo made the announcement in an answer to a question by Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central, who wanted to know when new classroom blocks will be provided for the New Abossey Okai Primary School at Mataheko, since government has committed itself to abolish the shift system.

The Minister said the shift system was basically due to inadequate classroom infrastructure to accommodate the large number of pupils in a catchment area and that the system was mostly found in the urban centres where there were large population of pupils.

Mr Tettey-Enyo stated that the Ministry has also noted the efforts of some District Assemblies to help address this challenge and commended the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in particular, which has indicated its desire to construct classrooms in schools with shift system. He said nevertheless, the New Abossey Okai Primary School would be considered along the others in the implementation of the government policy of providing school infrastructure to accommodate the pupils.