The government has prioritised education reform in recent years. Since 2017 it has passed several initiatives aimed at improving education availability and quality.

Sector Breakdown

Policy reform has enhanced access to education in recent years, evident in key indicators. Net primary school enrolment grew from 72% in 2009 to 86% in 2019. Meanwhile, the adult literacy rate rose from 71% in 2010 to 80% in 2020. For women, the rate climbed from 65% to 75% over this period, while for men the increase was 78% to 84%.

However, the sector contends with ongoing challenges including inadequate equipment, poor sanitation facilities, crowded classrooms, a dearth of textbooks, and a shortage of trained teachers in certain subjects. In addition, a significant portion of the education budget — approximately 82% in 2022 — went towards employee compensation, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), thereby limiting funds available for infrastructure and educational materials.

School System

Enrolment rates have improved in recent years, with net enrolment at the primary level increasing from 72% in 2009 to 86% in 2019 according to the most recent data from the World Bank. At the secondary level, this rose from 43% in 2009 to 58.3% in 2022.

Expenditure

Education’s share of total government spending is below the global benchmark of 15% to 20% or the government’s own commitment of 23%. Having almost met the global benchmark in 2019, when education spending reached 17.9%, the total education budget has declined as a share of total government spending and is 10.9% for 2023. As a proportion of GDP education spending has declined from 4.3% in 2020 to 3.1% in 2023, compared to the UNESCO target of at least 4% to 6%. Under current MoF projections, education spending will continue to trend downwards through to 2026 when it is projected to amount to 8.6% of total government spending and 2.3% of GDP.

Challenges

Teacher training and allocation remains an issue. As of November 2022 approximately 31% of primary teachers are certified in early childhood education, and around 51% of primary school teachers have received training, compared to 66% of teachers at the JHS level. Disparities in teacher distribution also persist, particularly in rural areas. According to Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, in 2021 around 90% of urban areas had access to basic education facilities at the pre-primary, primary and junior high level. In rural areas, this figure was 29%, 64% and 40%, respectively.

In terms of infrastructure, several schools, particularly in rural areas, do not have sufficient water and sanitation facilities. There is also a need for greater investment in school infrastructure due to the lack of classrooms for the growing population and increased enrolment at all education levels.

Private Education

Low-fee private schools, including for-profit, philanthropic and faith-based institutions serve low-income areas, providing an alternative for parents seeking quality education. However, the poorest families in Ghana still struggle to afford these options. Higher fees needed to invest in these schools become a barrier for lower-income parents, resulting in inadequate infrastructure and an inability to upgrade these institutions.

International schools are concentrated in Accra and other major cities. As of June 2023 Ghana had 12 International Baccalaureate schools that offered one or more of four IB programmes.

Universities & Higher Education

The expansion of tertiary institutions and enrolment presents an opportunity for international investors to aid in the development of areas facing high demand but limited capacity. This assistance could potentially be reinforced by government policies aimed at promoting gender equality in admissions to public universities.

Professional & Vocational Training

In November 2022 the government launched the second iteration of an Agenda for Jobs programme, aiming to transform the country through a series of economic, social and governance policies and initiatives. In the same period, the government initiated construction on 32 TVET (technical and vocational education and training) centres across the country to be completed in 24 months. Additionally, the government announced plans to build two technical institutes, seven technical colleges, and establish nine TVET in 2023, with another 12 in the works in the following years.

The commission announced in February 2023 that it will oversee the implementation of the second phase of the Strategic Plan for TVET Transformation (2023-27). This phase will emphasise TVET digitalisation, graduate licensing and the establishment of the Ghana Skills Development Fund. Launched in July 2023, this fund is a collaboration between the CTVET, the government of Ghana and development partners aimed at supporting skills development.

Technology

In Ghana, education technology (edtech) is being developed to improve learning outcomes and support improvements in teaching. While many formal educational institutions in urban areas have successfully included ICT in their curricula and ensured access for students, implementation in rural regions has proven more challenging.

These limitations include gaps in teacher knowledge and skills in ICT, inadequate technological infrastructure, a lack of access to computers and other digital technologies due to high costs, poor internet connections and unreliable power supplies. However, edtech entrepreneurs are offering solutions that aim to align with learner needs and the learning context of the country. One such initiative is Making Ghanaian Girls Great! which uses solar-powered and satellite-enabled distance learning infrastructure to deliver interactive learning sessions. The project has impacted over 36,000 pupils between 2020 and 2023.

Outlook

The country’s commitment to education is reflected in rising enrolment rates across all levels, alongside greater access to technology in schools, as well as a broader array of educational options, including TVET. With a series of reforms already introduced in the sector, the government is working to deliver on its promise to allocate at least 23% of the state budget to education through to 2025. To effectively address the challenges inherent in implementing these educational reforms, it will be important for the government to emphasise areas such as teacher training, gender and income disparity in education, and lack of access to education in rural areas to ensure it achieves its goals.