Some Civil Society Organisations and teacher groups have cast a damning verdict of Ghana’s basic education system.

According to the 10 organisations, the current state of Ghana’s educational system coupled with poor financing leaves much to be desired.

The groups in a document titled “Memorandum of Issues in the Basic Education Sector” complained about a myriad of problems including over-overcrowding in some schools.

The groups also lamented that some schools in the country continue to operate under trees, sheds, or dilapidated structures.

The groups also complained about lack of textbooks and exercise books for school children, non-payment of utility bills, lack of incentives for teachers in rural areas, politicisation of recruitment of teachers, among others.

The CSOs and teacher groups also criticised the government’s one student, one laptop initiative.

“Government’s plan to procure 1.3 million laptops to replace textbooks in Senior High Schools across the country does not represent efficient and prioritised use of public funds in the face of a heavily underfunded basic education sub-sector”.

The groups are STAR-Ghana Foundation, ActionAid, Africa Education Watch, Ghana CSOs Platform on SDGs, CAMFED, GNAT, GNECC, CCT, World Vision and ICDP.

The 10 organisations also made a number of recommendations they believe could help revive the country’s educational system if adhered to.

“The government must develop an emergency infrastructure expansion plan for overcrowded urban and peri-urban schools. The Plan must also include a purposive approach to bridging the 25 percent gap between primary and JHS while providing new schools for underserved communities. The government must deploy desks to all the 2.3 million pupils in underserved schools. Partnerships with the Forestry Commission and the private sector should be pursued,” the organisations recommended.

Addressing the media on Thursday, June 15, spokesperson for the organisations, Joyce Larnyo said there will be a better chance of improving the overall quality of education in these schools when their budgetary allocation is increased.

“The government must increase the budgetary allocation to education from the current 12 percent to at least 15 percent of the total national budget using the supplementary budget window and prioritise the disbursement of the allocated discretionary education budget to increase the low budget execution to at least 10 percent by the end of the current financial year,” she stated.

Ms Larnyo further described as absurd the government’s proposed GH¢1.20 per child under the School feeding programme.

Source: citinewsroom.com

On Tuesday June 20, Eduwatch held a meeting with key stakeholders to validate its draft Tax Policy Study report. The report assesses Ghana's tax architecture and the implications of tax reforms on education financing especially at the local level. The study was conducted in the Adentan Municipal and Tema Metropolitan Assemblies.

Presenting the draft report, Eduwatch's Executive Director, Kofi Asare highlighted among others the implications of tax reforms at the local and national levels on education financing and service delivery. He indicated that the fiscal capacity of local assemblies to support education has been significantly reduced due to recent tax reforms, notably the capping of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and GETFund.

The study also found that the inadequate funding from the government has led to the deteriorating state of basic education, where numerous infrastructure projects have been abandoned in some basic and second cycle schools in the two Assemblies.

Inputs from participants will be incorporated into the final report to be disseminated in July. Participants were drawn from the Ghana Revenue Authority, Local Government Secretariat, Adentan Municipal and Tema Metropolitan GES and local assemblies, as well as CSOs, parents, headteachers teachers, PTA/SMCs and Education oversight committees from the two Assemblies.

© Africa Education Watch

On Wednesday June 21 and Thursday June 22, Eduwatch's Executive Director, Kofi Asare, participated in a 2-day Education Financing International Forum organised by Education International Africa Region. At the forum, he made a presentation on the implications of IMF borrowing on education.

Mr. Asare called for increased public awareness on the implications of Ghana's IMF Programme on basic education among Teacher Unions in Africa, as well as teacher-led advocacies in Ghana for budgetary reviews for basic education during the 2023 mid-term budget in July, and in the 2024 budget. He also urged a stronger push by Teacher Unions for the uncapping of GETFund while refocusing it to target basic education infrastructure.

Ghana's Minister for Education also addressed the Forum. Participants were drawn from leadership of Teacher Unions from Ghana, Senegal, the Gambia, Nigeria and Zambia.

© Africa Education Watch

On Thursday June 22, Eduwatch held a workshop to disseminate and validate its assessment report on the gender transformative capabilities of Ghana's pre-tertiary education system. The report is being developed by Eduwatch with support from OXFAM.

The report observed that while Ghana has achieved gender parity in its basic education system, there are existing factors at the policy, school and community levels that inhibit girls' school retention, progression and completion. Key among them are gender-unfriendly teaching pedagogies and sanctions, as well as the prevalence of school-related gender-based violence.

The draft report was presented to key stakeholders, after which recommendations were elicited to be incorporated into the final report. Eduwatch would engage the relevant state agencies on the recommendations as part of collective efforts to address gender issues in our pre-tertiary schools.

Participants in the workshop were drawn from the GES, NAGRAT, COHBS, Colleges of Education, ActionAid Ghana, GNECC, STAR-Ghana Foundation, FOSDA, IFEST and ICDP among others.

© Africa Education Watch

On Thursday June 22, Eduwatch joined other education stakeholders at the 2022 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Distinction Awards ceremony held at the Sakyi-Asare Menako Hall at the WAEC Ghana Office. The distinction award ceremony has been instituted by the WAEC Endowment Fund to recognize and publicly acknowledge candidates who excell in all eight (8) subjects in the annual WASSCE.

Over 2.2 million candidates from WAEC's five (5) member-countries sat for the 2022 WASSCE, out of which two (2) candidates from Ghana annexed 1st and 2nd prizes during the 71st Annual Council Meeting held in the Gambia. For the national awards in Ghana, 124 candidates met the criterion for the awards, of which 5 best students were awarded.

In attendance were the Hon. Minister of Education, the Director General General of the GES, Officials from WAEC, Civil Society Organisations, the media, headteachers, teachers, parents and students from selected SHSs.

© Africa Education Watch

On Friday June 23, Eduwatch joined members of the Citizens' Coalition to launch its maiden student chapter in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The Citizens' Coalition is concurrently launching chapters in the Upper West, Volta and Western regions to enhance efforts at holding duty-bearers accountable.

The Citizens’ Coalition is working with tertiary students to build a culture of good, responsible, inclusive and accountable governance.

#WeBeCitizens
#WeNoBeSpectators

© Africa Education Watch