Northern, North East, and Savannah Regions remain below national average in access to education

A new report by the Ministry of Education has revealed that the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions continue to fall below national averages in both access to and quality of education.

The report, titled “Access to and Quality of Basic and Secondary Education in Ghana (2000 – 2023),” analyzed over a decade of data from Ghana’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) to assess progress in school enrolment, gender parity, teacher quality, and student performance across the country.

While the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern regions recorded significant improvements in enrolment rates, the northern regions remain plagued by low Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment Ratio (NER).

Gender disparities also persist, with Northern and Upper West regions still recording lower female participation compared to the rest of the country.

In terms of education quality, the shortage of trained teachers in the northern regions remains a major concern, contributing to lower student performance.

The report further highlights disparities in examination results, with Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Bono regions achieving the highest pass rates in both the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

In contrast, the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions recorded the lowest pass rates, despite the North East region showing some improvement at the BECE level.

The ministry wrote;

This report analyzed over a decade of administrative data from Ghana’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) to assess progress toward key targets in the Education Strategic Plans (ESP). It examined trends across four educational levels, Kindergarten, Primary, Junior High School, and Senior High School, focusing on access to and quality of education. The report measured access through Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), and Gender Parity Index (GPI), and quality through Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR), Pupil to Trained Teacher Ratio (PTTR), and student pass rates in core subjects at JHS and SHS levels. The findings provide valuable insights to guide policy decisions and targeted interventions for improving educational outcomes in Ghana.

At the national level, while some progress has been made in increasing enrolment and improving gender parity, significant gaps remain, particularly in access to quality education. Regionally, Greater Accra and Ashanti regions continue to lead in Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and Net Enrolment Rate (NER) at both primary and secondary school levels. Eastern and Central regions have also shown improvements, particularly in NER, indicating steady progress in ensuring more children are enroled at the appropriate age. In contrast, Northern, North East, and Savannah regions remain below national averages, with persistent enrolment gaps that suggest ongoing challenges in access to education.

Gender Parity Index (GPI) has improved in most regions, with Volta and Bono regions recording near equal participation rates between boys and girls. However, disparities remain in Northern and Upper West regions, where female participation still lags. 

On teacher quality, the Pupil to Trained Teacher Ratio (PTTR) remains a concern in the northern regions, where shortages of trained teachers continue to affect education quality. Greater Accra and Western regions recorded relatively better PTTRs, but improvements are needed across board to meet policy targets.

Regarding pass rates, the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Bono regions achieved the highest pass rates in both BECE and WASSCE, reflecting relatively better learning outcomes. Conversely, the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions recorded the lowest pass rates in the examinations, although the performance of North East in BECE is among the highest. 

Overall, while progress is evident in certain regions, the observed regional inequalities highlight the need for deliberate, data-driven policy actions to bridge gaps in access to and quality education. 

Special attention must be given to underperforming regions to accelerate progress toward SDG 4 and ensure that every child, regardless of location or background, has equal access to quality education.