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Ghana The Education System
The country's education system at the beginning of the 1993-94
academic year comprised primary schools, junior secondary schools,
senior secondary schools, polytechnic (technical and vocational)
institutions, teacher training colleges, and university-level
institutions.
In 1990-91, the latest year for which preliminary government
statistics were available, 1.8 million pupils were attending more
than 9,300 primary schools; 609,000 students were enrolled in about
5,200 junior secondary schools; and 200,000 students were enrolled
in some 250 senior secondary schools (see
table 5, Appendix). In
the mid-1980s, teachers on each of these levels numbered
approximately 51,000, 25,000, and 8,800, respectively. In addition,
1989-90 enrollment in Ghana's approximately twenty-six polytechnic
schools totalled almost 11,500 students; the teacher corps for
these schools numbered 422. Education is free, although students
have recently begun to pay textbook fees. The Education Act of 1960
foresaw universal education, but the constraints of economic
underdevelopment meant that by the early 1990s this goal had not
been realized. On the primary level, instruction is conducted in
the local vernacular, although English is taught as a second
language. Beyond primary school, however, English is the medium of
instruction in an education system that owes much to British
models.
Before the introduction of reforms in the mid-1980s, students
at what was then the middle-school level took either the Middle
School Leaving Certificate Examination and terminated their
studies, or, at any time from seventh to tenth grade, the Common
Entrance Examination, which admitted them to secondary or technical
study. With the traditional six years of primary education, four
years of middle schooling, and a seven-year secondary education
(five years of preparation toward the Ordinary Level Certificate
and two years of Advanced Level training) before entering degreegranting institutions, the average age of the first-year university
student in Ghana was often about twenty-five.
Most students, however, did not continue formal instruction
after the first ten years of education. Of the 145,400 students
completing middle school in 1960, for example, only 14,000 sought
secondary education. In 1970 only 9,300 of the more than 424,500
leaving middle school were admitted into secondary schools.
Ministry of Education data for the 1984-85 academic year showed
that of the 1.8 million students completing ten years of primary
and middle schooling, only 125,600 continued into secondary
schools, while fewer than 20,000 entered vocational and technical
institutions. That same year, approximately 7,900 students were
enrolled in the universities.
Although the government provides free tuition to all children
of school age, and notwithstanding the fact that schools can be
found all across the country, 1989-90 government statistics showed
that more males continued to be enrolled in schools than females.
In the first six grades of the educational system, only 45 percent
of the students enrolled were female. The percentage of females in
the school system decreased to 33 percent at the secondary school
level, to 27 percent in polytechnical institutions, and to as low
as 19 percent within the universities. Disparities in the malefemale ratios found in the schools had not improved significantly
by 1990-91. The emphasis on male education doubtless reflects
traditional social values, which view the reproductive abilities of
women as their primary role in life, while men are valued as
breadwinners and, therefore, in need of education to compete in the
contemporary economy
(see The Position of Women
, this ch.).
Despite a number of committee reports and proposals for
educational reform, until mid-1980 the education system continued
to place emphasis on traditional academic studies. Proponents of
reform argued that the country's development needs required an
education system that, beginning at the middle-school level, placed
equal emphasis on training students in vocational and technical
skills. It was further suggested that reforms could contribute to
reducing the number of students who dropped out of school for lack
of interest in traditional academic studies.
Partly as a result of earlier proposals for reform and partly
in keeping with the government's economic reform program,
fundamental change in the educational structure of the country was
undertaken in the mid-1980s. The overall goals were to make
curricula at all levels more relevant to the economic needs of the
country, to reduce the length of pre-university instruction, and to
improve the quality of teacher preparation. Increased enrollment in
primary schools and a reduction in the rate of illiteracy were also
to be pursued. The reforms were to be implemented in two phases:
those for primary and middle schools were to be introduced in 1987-
89, and those for secondary schools and the universities, in 1990-
93.
The much-discussed changes in education became a reality in
1987 when all seventh-level students, who otherwise would have
entered the traditional first year of middle school, were instead
admitted into new junior secondary schools (JSS) to begin a threeyear combined training program in vocational, technical, and
academic studies. The JSS system was a radical change in the
structure of education in the country. It replaced the four-year
middle school and the first three years of the traditional fiveyear secondary school system. After three years at the JSS, three
years further training would be available in senior secondary
schools (SSS), after which students could enter polytechnic
institutions or the universities.
Pioneers in the JSS system sat for the first Basic Certificate
of Education Examination in 1990. In this same year, seniors of the
old middle-school system took the last Middle School Leaving
Certificate Examination. Supporters of the JSS argued that the
system would attract more students into technical, vocational,
business, and agricultural institutions. It was also suggested that
those students who did not gain admission into the SSS would be
better equipped to enter the job market. Results of the first SSS
certificate examination, announced in May 1994, however, showed
that only 3.9 percent of students received passing marks. This poor
showing was attributed to lack of textbooks, equipment, and trained
teachers, and to inadequate time to prepare for the examination.
Despite loud protests from students and parents, reform of the
education system remained on course.
In addition to revamping middle-school education, changes were
also introduced on all other educational levels. Fees for textbooks
and supplies were instituted, primary curricula were revised, and
food and housing subsidies were reduced or eliminated in secondary
schools and the universities. In the early 1990s, however, the
government appeared to be moving slowly in implementing further
proposed reforms, such as new curricula in secondary schools and
restructuring of the universities.
In the early 1990s, higher education was available at three
institutions--the University of Ghana (located principally at Legon
outside Accra), founded in 1948 as the University College of the
Gold Coast; the University of Science and Technology at Kumasi,
opened officially in 1952 as the Kumasi College of Technology; and
the University of Cape Coast at Cape Coast, founded in 1961. In
1989-90 enrollment at all three institutions totalled 9,251, of
whom 19 percent were female. In addition, large numbers of
Ghanaians went abroad for university education, as they had in the
past.
In anticipation that the new JSS and SSS structures would
increase the number of students seeking advanced technical
training, two more universities were proposed. The specialist
institutions or colleges at Winneba, which offered post-secondary
teacher training in such subjects as art, music, and physical
education, were to be upgraded into an independent university
college or were to be given associate relations with the University
of Cape Coast. In September 1993, the University of Development
Studies at Tamale opened. Designed initially to train agricultural
specialists, it will eventually also offer degrees in health and
development studies.
Data as of November 1994
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