On Friday, 4th November 2022, upon the invitation of President Akufo-Addo, a delegation of Civil Society Organisation (CSO) leaders including Eduwatch Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare, met the President to discuss governance, education, social protection, agriculture, economic and energy sector issues ahead of Ghana's International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The CSO leaders, among other recommendations to inform government's ongoing negotiations with the IMF, called for the protection of some social intervention programmes, especially those targeting vulnerable groups.

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On Monday, 7th November 2022, a team from Eduwatch met with the leadership of the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Unit of the Ghana Education Service to discuss collaboration between the Unit and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on harmonising communication/outreach messaging on teenage pregnancy prevention.

Earlier, on Friday 4th November, the Eduwatch team also met with the Coordinator of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) division of the Ministry of Education (MoE) to discuss harmonisation of teenage pregnancy data between the MoE and GHS to address the teenage pregnancy data gap that exists between what the MoE and GHS present.

Eduwatch also held a meeting with the Chief of Staff on advancing the President’s commitment to mobilise resources aimed at ending Child Marriage in Ghana.

Eduwatch will continue to work with stakeholders to enhance the educational rights of vulnerable teenage girls as part of the implementation of the SERVE III Project in partnership with STAR-Ghana Foundation.

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On Tuesday, 8th November, Eduwatch in partnership with OXFAM, premiered a video documentary on deprivation in basic schools on TV3. The documentary reveals how deficits in financing basic education is affecting the quality of classrooms and access to quality basic education.

A discussion on basic education financing for equitable infrastructure development followed on TV3 and 3FM. Eduwatch Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare stressed the need for government to increase investment in public basic education to curb the high level of deprivation in basic schools in most rural areas across the country.

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On Tuesday 8th November, Eduwatch attended a stakeholder forum organized by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to account for the Fund from 2016-2020.

Eduwatch Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare bemoaned the secondary education focus of GETFund infrastructure expenditure, and called for increased allocation to basic education from the current 16% to at least 30%. He also called on the Minister of Finance to remove the 25% cap on GETFund to free resources for infrastructure financing.

Touching on the securitization of GETFund, Mr. Asare recommended that GETFund commissions an independent cost-benefit analysis of the $1.5 billion GETFund infrastructure loan to enable stakeholders determine whether or not, the cost of the loan provided Value For Money.

The forum was held at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra and attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Education, agency heads and stakeholders.

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On Wednesday, 9th November 2022, Eduwatch led a discussion on the effects of overcrowded urban classrooms on learning outcomes at a stakeholder forum organised by the Campaign Against Privatization and Commercialization of Education (CAPCOE) with support from the Frederich Ebert Stiftung Foundation. The focus was to proffer lasting solutions to the infrastructural challenges affecting access and retention in the delivery of public basic education in Ghana.

Presenting a Policy Brief on Ghana’s High Urban Class Sizes and their Impact on Learning Outcomes, Eduwatch Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare, submitted that, class sizes ranging between 50 and 124 in the Greater Accra Region constitute a major setback in the implementation of the new Standard Based Curriculum, as teachers could not facilitate participatory learning in such over-crowded classrooms.

He further indicated that, high urban population growth had overtaken the growth of public basic schools, leading to overcrowding and an increasing number of out-of-school children. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, some 1.4 million children aged 4-18 are not in school.

Mr. Asare added that, in the Adenta Municipality for instance, while the population increased by 200% (from about 78,000 in 2010 to 237,000 in 2021), the number of public primary schools increased by only 3% (from 16-19) in the past ten years, with private ones increasing astronomically by 172% from 68 to 185 during the same period. However, the average private school is out of the economic reach of low income earners.

Eduwatch called on government to adopt and fund a basic school infrastructure policy that responds to data on population growth to ensure the urban poor have access to public basic education in relevant class sizes.

Stakeholders for the conference were drawn from ministries, government agencies, Parliament, Teacher Unions, Civil Society, private sector, and the media.

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On Wednesday, 9th November, Eduwatch participated in a Stakeholder Conference on the Child Education Support Policy (CESP) aimed at building robust and strategic systems that have the capacity to combat emergency situations which threaten the sustainability of private sector education delivery.

Addressing stakeholders, Eduwatch Fellow, Ms. Claudia Duedu acknowledged contributions of the private education sector in enhancing access to education in Ghana, as we strive to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 4 by 2030. She further lauded sector players for their contributions towards securing the educational rights of vulnerable children in communities without public basic schools.

The conference saw the launch of an All-ln-One Child Education Support Policy (CESP), developed in consultation with stakeholders to support schools, teachers, learners and parents. Eduwatch urged participants to ensure effective implementation of the policy to ensure the attainment of its intended objectives.

The conference was organised by the African Center for Policy Development and Planning, for schools in the Greater Accra region, and was attended by private school owners, principals and teachers, as well as representatives from USAID, UNESCO, IFEST, Parliament, NaSIA and the media.

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From Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th November 2022, Eduwatch participated in a 3-day Validation Workshop on the development of a Basic Education Infrastructure Policy Framework and Action Plan. The framework is being developed by the Ministry of Education (MoE) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The overall goal of the Pre-tertiary Education Infrastructure Policy Framework (PEIPF) is to provide a guide for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and financing of pre-tertiary education infrastructure that aligns with Ghana's education sector priorities, and improves quality.

Eduwatch Programme Officer, Mr. Kwasi Nimo Jnr, recommended an increase in Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) allocation to 20%, while making specific allocations for the maintenance of all existing and yet-to-be constructed schools. He further indicated the need to prioritise maintenance of school infrastructure, by instituting a time within the academic year for maintenance across the country.

Participants agreed to the need to reduce waste within the education sector, by reviewing payment of teacher trainee allowances and the financing model of the free Senior High School Policy among others, to free funds to finance basic education infrastructure.

Participants were drawn from various divisions under the MoE, Ministry of Works and Housing, and Ministry of Local Governance. The Ghana Education Services, NASIA, NACCA, CHASS, Teacher Unions, Civil Society, Regional Coordinating Councils, School Management Committees and Faith Based Organisations were also involved in the validation of the framework.

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