School for Life, an NGO, has engaged Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education as part of its advocacy for transformative education and equitable allocation and distribution of educational resources to rural primary schools.

The discussions during the meeting focused on basic education financing, teacher deployment and posting, inadequate furniture for basic schools, deplorable school infrastructure in rural communities, and Capitation Grant and delays in its release to schools.

Mr Abukari Ayuba, Head of Programmes, School for Life, during the meeting in Accra, presented the findings of a recent study conducted by the organization, which showed that despite increases in total education budgets, basic education had not received a proportionate share of this growth signaling a misalignment between national policy aspirations and actual funding decisions.

The study, conducted in April, this year, titled: “Ghana’s Basic Education Funding Landscape: Trends, Gaps and Impacts in Underserved Region”, formed part of the implementation of the Empowerment for Life (E4L) Programme.

The study, amongst others, also found that actual spending for education consistently outpaced allocations for the education sector pointing to systematic under budgeting and risking cost overruns. 

It also found that besides the inadequacy of the Capitation Grant, there was a systemic delay in the release of the available funds showing that by 2023, the Capitation Grant was in arrears dating as far back as 2021.

The large scale of resources not made available coupled with the delay in release of the Capitation Grant underscored the poor financing of basic education in the country.

School for Life emphasised need for government, through the Ministry of Education, to implement its manifesto promise of introducing rural area teaching allowance to attract and retain qualified teachers in underserved communities.

Madam Wedad Sayibu, Director of School for Life, emphasised that “It is crucial that processes are commenced to map out areas that are eligible for this allowance with the next budget cycle making provision for fund allocation for the implementation.”

She also called on the government to increase basic education funding through increased budgetary allocation and institute mechanisms for an improved basic education delivery through effective frameworks on decentralisation of teacher deployment and posting, adequate provision of furniture and school infrastructure.

Members of the Committee emphasised the relevance of the discussions and highlighted the need for continued dialogue and collaboration with School for Life to help bring a lasting solution to some of the challenges facing basic education delivery in underserved communities in the country.

Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Chairman, Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, said, “It is refreshing to hear some of the findings from your work. It demonstrates the role of non-state actors in education delivery. We, as a Committee, have a great access to the Ministry of Education and its allied agencies and we will make sure we engage further and share some of the findings with them.”

The E4L Programme seeks to ensure that civil society organisations in northern Ghana contribute to improved resilience, equity, and more accountable governance in the country.

It is being implemented in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions by four local partners; Ghana Developing Communities Association, School for Life, Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships, and YEFL-Ghana with funding support from Civil Society in Development, through Ghana Venskab, a Danish organisation.