Eduwatch exposes inequality in Ghana’s education system

A nationwide monitoring report by  Africa Education Watch (Africa Eduwatch), has exposed deepening inequalities in Ghana’s education system and a growing culture of impunity over examination malpractice, warning that both trends threaten access and learning integrity despite massive public spending.

Presenting the findings in Accra, Executive Director, Kofi Asare said that while government will spend about GH¢42 billion on education in 2025, the benefits are distributed unevenly, systematically disadvantaging rural and deprived communities.

The Free Sanitary Pads initiative has improved menstrual hygiene and reduced absenteeism, but distribution is highly uneven. Across 10 districts, girls received between three and nine packs since September 2025.

In deprived areas such as Nabdam and Bongo, some girls received only three packs, while counterparts in Tatale Sanguli and Zabzugu received up to nine.

Product inconsistency compounds the problem, with only Adentan receiving all three variants. In other districts, girls were limited to fewer options, making supplies unsuitable for some.

Eduwatch attributes this to the absence of a standardised national distribution formula, warning that the programme risks reinforcing inequality rather than reducing it.

Capitation grant: predictable but inadequate

For the first time in years, schools received all three tranches of the Capitation Grant in 2025, improving planning.

However, at GH¢15 per pupil annually, the amount remains grossly inadequate.

Schools report they cannot meet basic operational needs. With exam fees abolished and no alternative funding, many, especially in deprived areas, conduct assessments on chalkboards, denying pupils exposure to printed examination formats and placing them at a structural disadvantage.

Despite a GH¢1.78 billion allocation, the School Feeding Programme also suffers from inequitable coverage and operational lapses.

In Tatale Sanguli, only 17 per cent of schools benefit, compared to full coverage in Ga West.

Africa Eduwatch cites weak targeting and possible political influence, rather than poverty-based allocation.

Delays by Caterers and lack of enforcement authority for headteachers further disrupt learning, with some schools missing feeding for entire terms.

Textbooks and infrastructure: funding without equity

Although GH¢596 million was allocated for textbooks in 2025, availability remains below 50 per cent nationwide. Some districts received limited supplies, while others got none, suggesting a disconnect between procurement and delivery.

Infrastructure funding also shows distortions. While 20 per cent of the DACF, about GH¢1.2 billion, was earmarked for education, allocations favour better-endowed districts.

Tatale Sanguli, where pupils still learn under trees, received GH¢2 million compared to GH¢5 million for Adentan.

Across deprived districts, allocations were roughly half those of wealthier areas, effectively institutionalising inequality.

Furniture and teachers: policy gaps persist

A national deficit of about one million desks remains unresolved, with procurement delays stretching into 2026.

Proposed metal desks raise maintenance concerns in remote areas with limited repair capacity.

Teacher distribution reflects similar inefficiencies. Despite a national surplus of about 15,000 teachers, some 30,000 classrooms lack staff, particularly in rural communities. In parts of Zabzugu, single teachers run entire schools.

In the Northern Region, over 40 per cent of teachers are concentrated in Tamale and Sagnarigu, which account for only a quarter of enrolment. Africa Eduwatch insists the problem is deployment, not recruitment.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training received just 2.5 per cent of the education budget, far below international benchmarks. The result is overcrowding, weak infrastructure, and limited practical training.

The National Apprenticeship Programme is also faltering due to delayed funding, leading to dropouts and stalled support for graduates.The report’s most alarming finding is the surge in examination malpractice and the absence of sanctions.

In the 2025 WASSCE, malpractice rose to 14.8 per cent, with nearly one in six candidates affected in at least one subject.

Almost all cases involved collusion within examination halls. Yet, no headteacher, invigilator or official has been punished. An earlier undercover investigation into organised cheating at BECE level remains unresolved, with implicated officials still at post.

Africa Eduwatch warns that this “accountability inertia” is incentivising malpractice and could push rates to 20 per cent.

The report concludes that Ghana’s education system is being undermined by two interlinked failures: inequitable resource allocation and weak accountability.

It argues that increased spending alone is insufficient. Without data-driven distribution, transparent governance, and strict sanctions particularly against examination malpractice, Ghana risks entrenching a two-tier system: one for the privileged, and another for the underserved.

 

For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z

The post Eduwatch exposes inequality in Ghana’s education system appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

Read Full Story