On Thursday September 12, Eduwatch joined the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) to present the report of a Youth-led monitoring of TVET Institutions, to the Ghana TVET Service. The report aimed at promoting advocacy on access, quality, financing, Green adaptation, and hold duty bearers responsible for investment and priorities.

The findings of the report focuses on issues of access and participation, program quality, financing and Green adaptation. It recommends among others an annual review and simulation of the actual cost of TVET implementation, particularly the aspects related to practical work. The report also recommends the need for government to account for the progress on the announced US$ 1 billion invested into TVET, and for government to prioritize gradually acquiring and enrolling weak private institutes onto the Free TVET programme.

Key among other recommendations, was for TVET institutions to have local green plans to improve their focus on enhancing green responsiveness within the subsector and in the training of students, and a deliberate targeting of PWDs and females for enhanced inclusion. The TVET Service was also encouraged to collaborate with civil society for access to situational analysis, data and recommendation, on improving access and quality of TVET in Ghana.

Management of the Ghana TVET Service committed to working with the findings and recommendations of the report, and also engage civil society in advanced deliberations to improve the state of TVET in Ghana.

© Africa Education Watch

On Monday September 9, Eduwatch published a Gender Transformative Review of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) Basic Education Curriculum being run in various tertiary institutions across the country.

The review report assesses the responsiveness of the four-year B. Ed Basic Education Degree Curricula of the Initial Teacher Education Programme in Ghana, to Gender Transformative Education (GTE) principles and practices. It also examines the effectiveness of the existing systems and practices that promote GTE on Teacher Education.

The report was developed with support from Oxfam, and is available via the link below:
https://africaeducationwatch.org/publication/gender-transformative-review-of-the-bed-basic-education-curriculum-2024

© Africa Education Watch

On Thursday September 5, Eduwatch participated in a meeting to validate the findings of an audience analysis conducted for the African Union's Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC). The AU-ECOSOCC is an advisory body of the African Union (AU) that provides a platform for African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Organs of the AU, to contribute to the policies and programs of the AU.

The research aimed at identifying gaps in audience’s current digital engagement with AUECOSOCC, and to develop effective strategies for improving engagement with their resources and communications. It also aims to understand the communication behavior and preferences of organs of the AU, African CSOs and NGOs towards AU-ECOSOCC's communications.

The research found a huge lapse in the audience's awareness of AU-ECOSOCC, access to and engagement with same, indicating a significant gap in the Council’s visibility and outreach efforts. This unequivocally suggested the need for more targeted and widespread awareness to inform relevant stakeholders about AU-ECOSOCC's existence and role.

Among others, the research recommended the need for AU-ECOSOCC to initiate targeted efforts at enhancing its visibility, while actively engaging CSOs, and establishing a Community of Practice among CSOs and NGOs focused on AU-ECOSOCC's work, to facilitate regular knowledge sharing. It also recommends supporting CSOs and NGOs through mutually beneficial relationships to achieve mutual goals.

Eduwatch, represented by its Programme Officer, Kwasi Nimo Jnr, stressed the need for AU-ECOSOCC to prioritize research, and enhance its voice in regional advocacy on key issues bordering on their constituents, while establishing strong relationships with the media. He added that the Council must endeavor to have targeted advocacy based on country-, regional-, and continent-specific issues at all times. He further encouraged the deepening of relationships and engagement with civil society, as well as include citizens' voices on issues they find relevant.

The research and the validation meeting was under the auspices of Penplusbytes. Participants in the validation meeting include CDD-Ghana, IMANI Africa, and the Alliance for Women and Media Rights.

© Africa Education Watch

On Thursday August 29, Eduwatch held its annual Education Financing Conference, which saw the launch of its Education Financing Tracker (2017-2024), at a gathering of education stakeholders from state and non-state institutions. A presentation on Eduwatch's Education Financing Tracker kicks-started deliberations at the Conference.

During a panel discussion, panelists highlighted the need to make deliberate decisions to invest in the quality of basic education, to get the human capital required for national development. The panel also encouraged Civil Society to demand accountability in the financing of education and utilization of education resources, adding that backing advocacy with data is one strategic approach civil society can adopt to court the attention of policy makers, and contribute to strengthening accountability already structures in place.

Participants in the conference, beside decrying the inequitable financing of education to the detriment of basic and TVET, argued that, if the trend persists with no intentional government commitment, both subsectors will record significant decline in quality and significance. Participants also stressed the need for priority attention to complementary education considering the huge learning deficits and low literacy levels in pre-tertiary education.

The Education Financing Tracker, which was also launched on the day, assesses education budgeting and expenditure performance from 2017 to 2024, highlights key trends, gaps, challenges, implications for achieving SDGs, and makes recommendations for improved resourcing of education in Ghana, The Tracker is available on Eduwatch's website via https://africaeducationwatch.org/publication/education-financing-tracker-2017-2024

The 2024 Education Financing Conference and Tracker were supported by ActionAid Ghana and Oxfam. Participants in the Conference were drawn from Ministries and Agencies of State, Civil Society Organisations, Development Partners, and the Media, with key participation from the Country Directors for ActionAid Ghana and the International Child Development Programme, the Eduwatch Board, the Executive Director for Associates for Change, and a former acting GES Director-General.

© Africa Education Watch

On Wednesday August 28, Eduwatch participated in a national launch of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)'s maiden Mining Districts' Development Scorecard (MDDS). The MDDS is a tool for assessing and ranking the quality of transparency, accountability and citizen participation in the transfer, management and utilization of mineral revenues.

The Scorecard aims to enhance socio-economic development outcomes in selected mineral resource-rich districts and municipalities across Ghana, using a tool piloted in a selected eight (8) of Ghana's 21 mineral resource-rich districts.

The components of assessment include Fiscal Transparency, Local Governance Effectiveness, Local Management Committees Effectiveness, Citizens Participation and Mineral Development Fund Utilization Efficiency. According to the findings of the report, the Birim North distrust topped the 2023 MDDS league table with 42.4/100 points.

During a discussion after the presentation of the report's findings, panelists bemoaned the inadequacy of funds allocated and released to communities affected by mining, in driving development. They also decried the citizens' lack of interest in developmental advocacy in mining districts, leading to ineffective demands for increased allocations, accountability and transparency. As part of recommendations, panelists stressed the need to explore innovative ways of making mineral revenues relevant to communities affected by mining.

Eduwatch's Programme Officer, Kwasi Nimo Jnr, in a submission, drew the attention of traditional authorities to engaging local CSOs and NGOs in their advocacies and community mobilization efforts. Citing a research on tax reforms and education financing conducted in the Tema Metro and Adentan municipalities by Eduwatch with support from ActionAid, Kwasi recommended that the mobilization and advocacy influence of local CSOs and NGOs must be leveraged by traditional authority, especially in advocating increased allocation to mining communities for development.

Participants in the launch were drawn from traditional authority, the Chamber of Mines, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, the National Commission for Civic Education, civil society, academia and the media.

© Africa Education Watch