By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in Ghana’s education sector are calling for a major shift in the allocation of education resources to ensure that deprived communities receive funding and support according to their level of need. The CSOs say persistent inequalities in teacher deployment, school infrastructure, learning outcomes, financing, inclusion and curriculum implementation continue to undermine efforts to provide quality and equitable basic education for every child.
They made the call at a Dialogue and Joint Advocacy Planning Session held in Tamale and organised by School for Life in collaboration with the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) under the Citizens-led Actions for Educational Accountability and Responsiveness (CLEAR) Project.
The meeting brought together organisations working in education to assess emerging challenges in education delivery and agree on a common advocacy agenda for engaging government and other duty bearers.
The organisations acknowledged improvements in the predictability of the Capitation Grant, school feeding and the Free Sanitary Pad Programme, but said significant disparities remain in the distribution of teachers, infrastructure, furniture, information and communication technology, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and teacher accommodation.
Teacher shortages persist despite surpluses
A major concern raised at the dialogue was the uneven distribution of teachers across the country. The CSOs noted that teacher surpluses continue to exist alongside severe shortages in rural and deprived communities, creating significant disparities in the quality of education available to children depending on where they live.
They called for a transparent, data-driven system for deploying and redistributing teachers, with priority given to districts and schools experiencing critical shortages.
The CSOs also want government to strengthen decentralised teacher postings while improving incentives and accommodation for teachers who accept postings to deprived and rural communities. They further recommended that teacher recruitment should include mandatory criminal background checks to strengthen child protection and safeguarding within schools.
About 10,600 schools reportedly operate under trees and unapproved structures
The condition of school infrastructure also emerged as a major concern.
The CSOs cited reports indicating that about 10,600 schools operate under trees, sheds and other unapproved structures, particularly affecting children in deprived communities. They argued that inadequate infrastructure, furniture, WASH facilities, ICT resources and teaching and learning materials continue to create unequal learning conditions.
According to the organisations, these challenges disproportionately affect girls, children with disabilities, children from poor households, Fulbe children, out-of-school children and learners in remote communities. They are therefore calling for school-level monitoring of minimum education inputs, including teachers, textbooks, desks, WASH facilities, ICT, school feeding, Capitation Grants and infrastructure.
The evidence generated from such monitoring, they said, should be used to engage the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, local authorities and Parliament.
Concerns over education financing
The dialogue also focused heavily on the adequacy and distribution of education financing. The CSOs noted that the 2026 education allocation increased to about GH¢49 billion from GH¢42 billion in 2025, but said an increase in the overall allocation does not necessarily guarantee that resources are reaching schools and learners with the greatest needs.
They called for greater attention to allocative equity, budget execution and value for money, particularly in deprived districts. The organisations want the Ministry of Finance, GETFund and the District Assemblies Common Fund to ensure that deprivation, infrastructure deficits, enrolment and other objective indicators of need are incorporated into decisions on education resource allocation.
They also called for improved predictability and timely release of education funds, particularly for school operations, infrastructure, teaching and learning materials and interventions targeted at vulnerable learners.
CSOs propose changes to teacher trainee allowances.
As part of measures to address teacher distribution challenges, the organisations recommended that teacher trainee allowances be repurposed to support teacher rationalisation, improve teacher welfare and provide incentives for teachers posted to rural and deprived communities.
They argued that financing mechanisms should be aligned with the most pressing challenges facing the education sector and should help address the imbalance between areas with teacher surpluses and those experiencing persistent shortages. Learning outcomes must become central to accountability
The CSOs also want learning outcomes placed at the centre of education accountability.
They called for systematic tracking of disparities in learning outcomes between deprived and better-resourced districts, with targeted interventions for areas that consistently record poor performance. The organisations said expanding access to education must be accompanied by efforts to ensure that children are actually acquiring the knowledge and skills expected at their various levels.
They further advocated the incorporation of mother tongue learning and usage into teaching and learning at the basic school level, arguing that this could improve teaching and learning outcomes. Call for costed curriculum implementation plan
On curriculum reform, the CSOs welcomed the stronger competency-based direction of the revised curriculum but cautioned against nationwide implementation without adequate preparation.
They are demanding a costed Curriculum Implementation Readiness Plan covering teacher preparation, teaching and learning materials, financing, assessment, monitoring, timelines and institutional responsibilities.
The organisations want the revised Standards-Based Curriculum to be introduced through a phased approach, supported by measurable implementation benchmarks.
They say adequate preparation is necessary to prevent curriculum reforms from being undermined by shortages of trained teachers, instructional materials, funding and institutional capacity.
Inclusive education remains a priority
The dialogue also highlighted the need to strengthen inclusive education.
The CSOs called for the finalisation and implementation of the revised Inclusive Education Policy, together with clear financing, implementation and monitoring arrangements.
They want increased support for children with disabilities, girls, Fulbe children, out-of-school children and other vulnerable learners. According to the organisations, inclusion must go beyond policy statements and translate into practical measures that enable vulnerable children to access and benefit from quality education.
Safe school environments
The organisations further called for stronger measures to create safe, supportive and accountable school environments. They recommended enhanced guidance and counselling, greater parental and community participation, learner protection and preventive and restorative approaches to school discipline.
They also want pre-tertiary school heads to be empowered to address disciplinary matters within approved rules without undue interference. The CSOs urged education authorities to increase awareness of safeguarding and reporting channels in schools through sustained publicity and sensitisation.
Parliament urged to strengthen oversight
The CSOs also called on Parliament, particularly the Select Committee on Education, to strengthen scrutiny of education budgets, releases and expenditure.
They want Parliament to pay greater attention to equity, implementation performance and value for money in education spending. They further recommended regular reporting by education-sector institutions on teacher deployment, infrastructure delivery, curriculum implementation and progress in closing learning and inclusion gaps.
CSOs commit to coordinated advocacy
The organisations acknowledged that Ghana has made progress in expanding access to education and financing selected interventions but maintained that significant gaps remain.
They consequently resolved to move from fragmented advocacy towards a more coordinated, evidence-based approach. Under the new approach, CSOs will strengthen joint evidence generation, coordinate advocacy messages, monitor agreed education priorities and engage national and district-level authorities.
They will also work more closely with communities, learners, parents and local education actors to ensure that experiences from deprived communities inform national education policy discussions.
The organisations further committed to working with the media to sustain public attention on learning outcomes, equitable education financing, teacher deployment, inclusion and accountability in curriculum implementation.
The dialogue was organised under the CLEAR Project, which seeks to strengthen citizen engagement, transparency and accountability in the delivery of quality basic education, particularly for girls, children with disabilities, Fulbe children and learners in deprived communities.
Issued by School for Life in collaboration with NNED.
