Education policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has expressed concern over a growing education crisis in northern Ghana, disclosing that nearly 70 per cent of children aged 12 to 17 who are out of school have dropped out largely due to illegal mining and betting activities.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Sunday, December 14, the Executive Director of Eduwatch, Kofi Asare, said recent findings point to a worrying shift in the profile of out-of-school children compared with trends captured in the 2021 Population and Housing Census.

Mr Asare explained that while earlier data showed that most out-of-school children were in the lower age brackets, the latest evidence suggests that children in the northern regions are increasingly leaving school as they grow older.

He attributed this trend mainly to the attraction of galamsey and betting, rather than challenges related to initial school enrolment.

“About 70 per cent of the out-of-school population are aged between 12 and 17. This contrasts sharply with the 2021 census, where the majority were much younger. What we are now seeing in northern Ghana is that the older children become, the more likely they are to drop out of school,” he noted.

He added that qualitative data from the field confirms the trend, with galamsey—particularly in areas such as Talensi—and betting emerging as major factors driving school dropouts, especially among boys within the 12 to 17 age group.

The remarks follow an extensive Out-of-School Children Census conducted by Eduwatch across 20 districts in northern Ghana to generate community-based data to inform education policy and interventions.

The survey found that males accounted for the majority of out-of-school children, with higher concentrations recorded in districts including Chereponi, Nanumba South, Tatale Sanguli and Bawku West.