Basic education in Ghana

Despite the huge progress achieved by Ghana in moving toward universal basic education, many children still are not going to school. Girls are not advancing from elementary school to high school, limiting their abilities to obtain the qualifications they need for paid jobs, which would reduce their level of poverty.

Universal basic education is a major issue. Achieving it would require improving quality and eliminating barriers that are blocking access to education and to technical and vocational training.

ON THE GROUND

In this context, secondary and tertiary education for girls in the poor rural areas in the northern part of the country is the action priority for Uniterra’s partners.

In the last five years, Uniterra partners have worked to increase school enrolment and retention among young girls. The issue today is to support efforts for them to finish high school and even university.

For this to happen, girls must be stimulated and motivated to keep them from dropping out. Girls’ Clubs have been created, offering entertaining and educational personal growth activities. What is needed now is to increase the number of these clubs. In addition, a training program in the skills needed for everyday life is being implemented in schools and is helping broaden girls’ knowledge, skills and job prospects. Also, partners’ abilities to document the results of basic education advocacy and to create learning and sharing platforms need to be strengthened.