Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei, has described Ghana’s reliance on boarding schools as a colonial legacy and called for greater investment in quality day schools within local communities.

Speaking on JoyNews, Prof Adei argued that the boarding-school system was developed during the colonial era when mission schools and government institutions needed to train a limited number of people for specific roles.

He said the system no longer reflects what Ghana needs, particularly as other countries largely provide secondary education within students’ communities.

“Boarding schools are a colonial legacy,” he said, arguing that Ghana should instead focus on establishing well-resourced day schools in communities.

According to Prof Adei, quality education should not depend on whether a student has access to one of the country’s elite boarding schools.

He cited his experience with a school in his village, where investment in teachers, infrastructure and technology had helped produce strong academic outcomes.

“The emphasis is on the teacher,” he said, stressing the need to provide teachers with adequate accommodation and access to resources, including internet connectivity, in local schools.

Prof Adei, however, cautioned against abruptly abolishing existing boarding schools.

He said Ghana should rather pursue a gradual transition while building quality day schools that can provide students with strong educational opportunities within their communities.

His proposal comes amid renewed debate over Ghana’s second-cycle education system, particularly concerns about pressure on limited spaces in highly sought-after boarding schools and the difficulties families face securing placements for their children.