Ghana urged to invest in rural schools — MyJoyOnline
Education non-governmental organization School for Life has called for increased investment in rural school infrastructure in Ghana to improve children’s access to inclusive and quality education in communities with limited resources. The organization’s programme manager, Zuladen Amadu, made the statement during a meeting with media representatives in Tamale, MyJoyOnline reports.
Challenges facing rural schools
According to Amadu, teaching and learning in many rural communities are hampered by inadequate classrooms, a lack of furniture and learning materials, as well as limited access to water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities. He noted that children who do not attend school mostly live in remote and rural areas. Their participation in education is affected by poverty, inadequate infrastructure, gender barriers and limited educational opportunities, he said.
The School for Life representative also reported teacher shortages and difficulties in teacher deployment in some districts, contributing to high pupil-to-teacher ratios. He named difficulties in finding suitable housing near schools for teachers in rural areas as another factor that may reduce the number of teaching hours.
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Community participation and accessibility
Amadu stressed that involving communities in school management and decision-making is important for increasing children’s enrolment and retention in education. He also called for local languages and community contexts to be taken into account, as mother-tongue instruction improves children’s participation and learning outcomes, especially at the primary level, he said.
School for Life pointed to the role of local volunteer facilitators in closing learning gaps in under-resourced communities. Amadu called on the Ghana Education Service to strengthen teacher deployment and consider returning to a decentralized appointment system so that districts and communities can respond more quickly to local staffing shortages.
Among other needs, the organization named separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls, physical accessibility of classrooms for children with disabilities, and the expansion of social support programmes for such children. Meeting participants pledged to use their media platforms to raise awareness and accountability regarding education issues in communities with limited resources.
