Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education should finance end-of-term exams in public basic schools

District/Metro/Municipal Education Directorates in Ghana collecting fees from pupils for end-of-term examinations in public basic schools

The Africa Education Watch's Executive Director, Mr. Kofi Asare, has brought attention to the recurring issue of District Education Directorates in Ghana collecting fees from pupils for end-of-term examinations in public basic schools.

Although this issue is not new in the education sector, it is concerning that government officials remain silent and do not provide any alternative solutions. Asare claims that the District Directors have cited a lack of government funding as the reason for collecting fees, but the Ministry of Education has only budgeted 12% of the Capitation and Base Grant required for this year. This shortfall in funding will negatively affect basic education this year, and teachers will continue to rely on parents to fund terminal examinations.

Asare recognizes that parental contributions to basic education are acceptable, but emphasizes that it is the Ghana Education Service's responsibility, under the Ministry of Education, to finance examinations using the Capitation Grant. He notes that the practice of withholding funds from basic schools and allowing teachers to levy fees on parents to finance terminal examinations is contrary to the free compulsory universal basic education policy and constitutional provision under Article 38(2).

Kofi Asare - Eduwatch 

Rather than demanding cash from parents to finance basic education, Asare suggests that District Directors should demand that the government provide adequate funding for basic schools. He believes that they should follow the example of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), who, under the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, can declare a 'state of emergency' at the Ministry of Education and receive swift funding.

Asare argues that the fearfulness of District Directors, who are responsible for managing basic education, will exacerbate the government's apathy towards financing basic education. This is due to the lack of leadership at the basic school level to elicit a positive response from the government.

It is imperative that Ghana addresses the long-standing issue of funding basic education promptly. The government should allocate adequate funds to the education sector, and District Directors should demand the necessary resources to effectively run basic schools. As there is no such thing as a free lunch, taking action to improve the quality of education in Ghana is vital.