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    February 17, 2012

Ghana Lauded for Free Primary School Program

   In Ghana, primary school enrollment has been boosted by the elimination
   of fees and the introduction of supportive social programs. Today, over
   90 percent of all children aged six to 12 [or nearly 3.2 million]
   attend primary school. But development specialists say they're still
   concerned about the quality and number of teachers available for the
   schools.

   Joana Mantey | Accra,Ghana

   In Ghana, primary education is free, and in recent years, more students
   have been enrolled.

   Fees were abolished in public schools seven years ago when the
   government introduced yearly grants of about $2.50 for each pupil.

   The funding covers the cost of learning materials, sanitation and
   sports equipment, and minor school repairs.

   Primary school students at Akebubu, Ghana.

K. Asare

   Primary school students at Akebubu, Ghana.

   Kofi Asare is the executive director of the NGO Action for Rural
   Education and a former national program officer for the Ghana National
   Education Campaign Coalition.

   He says the government has also introduced other forms of support for
   school children.

   'They include the free school feeding program where each child is
   entitled to a square meal a day in school," he expalined. "It is
   currently on-going and involves about one million children out of the
   7.5 million children in basic [including primary] schools. Though it
   covers barely 10 percent of the population of pupils, it has made
   significant impact in rural areas where issues of nutrition affect
   school enrolment and retention.'

   Success brings new challenges

   Despite these successes, there are also drawbacks.

   Asare says school administrators complain of staff shortages.

   'There is a deficit of 20,000 teachers," said Asare, "which has caused
   some 15,000 classrooms to be empty. In some cases, you have to merge
   classes one to three for one teacher to handle.'

   Asare says it's also difficult to recruit ' and retain ' instructors.

   Part of the problem, he says, may be due to low pay: The average
   primary school teacher earns about 300 dollars per month. As a result,
   Asare says many teachers who go on paid study leave refuse to return to
   the classrooms. And, he says only about half of the nearly 4,000
   teachers who receive advanced training each year return to work.

   Many teachers prefer to stay in urban areas, depriving children in
   rural areas of the right to an education. In comparison, he says that
   three years ago, it was reported that over 550 teachers in and around
   the capital Accra were underemployed due to the excess number of
   instructors.

   He also says the growing number of students has led to the hiring of
   many teachers who are not qualified. Currently, 38 percent of primary
   school teachers have not been trained.

   Asare says these challenges have had a negative impact on the
   performance of pupils in basic schools, which include nursery school,
   kindergarten and primary school.

   'Standards have been compromised hugely in the past 10 to 15 years," he
   asserts. "Available data from the National Educational Assessment
   suggests that less than 40 per cent of pupils in basic schools are
   proficient in English and math, and that is a worrying scenario.'

   As a result, Asare said, many pupils fail to qualify for senior high
   school.

   Improved training, accountability

   Asare says action is being taken.

   In 2006, the government and foreign donors including Great Britain's
   Department for International Development introduced the Untrained
   Teacher Training Diploma in Basic Education program, a four-year effort
   to help 25,000 teachers obtain diplomas in basic education. Funding
   shortages have delayed the start of the second phase.

   Asare says the problem could be eased by cancelling paid leave for
   teachers, which costs nearly $9 million per year.He also recommends an
   increased allowance for rural teachers and improved supervision of
   teaching and learning in primary schools.

   Ghana spends over 10 percent of its gross domestic product and 31
   percent of its budget on education. Asare says school administrators
   must protect that investment by eliminating waste and mismanagement.