25% Primary schools have no JHSs — Eduwatch

Approximately 25 per cent of primary schools do not have an adjacent junior high school, advocacy organisation, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has identified.

That, it said, significantly increased the risk of dropouts between primary six and junior high school one.

The Executive Director of EduWatch, Kofi Asare, who made this known during the organisation’s national dissemination dialogue to assess the country's education sector, said, "One of the biggest risks we identified is the lack of junior high schools near primary schools”.

He argued that expanding infrastructure played a critical role in improving access to education.

He suggested that establishing junior high schools in closer proximity to primary schools would ensure smoother transitions and better educational continuity.

Mr Asare noted that the infrastructure gap had a direct impact on basic education completion rates and student progression.

He pointed to evidence from a deprived district where the number of junior high schools increased from 51 to 61, leading to higher enrolment and improved transition rates.

Similarly, the percentage of primary schools in deprived areas declined from 38 to 20 per cent, suggesting ongoing investment in infrastructure.

Among other things, the review focused on enrolment trends, student retention, teaching resources and infrastructure challenges across various districts.

The research, in collaboration with STAR Ghana Foundation, sought to provide insights for implementing Basic Education Policy Targets under the Education Sector Medium-Term Development Plan (ESMTDP 2022-2025).

It aimed to address key gaps in education access and quality while informing the next and final medium-term development plan, which would cover the period from 2026 to 2030.

The study also intends to prompt policymakers, educators and development partners to take action to address the gaps in the education system.

The research involved data collection from 14 districts, using the same schools studied three years prior to track performance over time.

Mr Asare explained that another key concern was age-appropriate progression, particularly in early childhood education. 

Infrastructure

He said infrastructure remained a decisive factor in school retention and educational quality.

"Infrastructure expansion directly affects access positively.

We need to break down sustainability junior high schools to ensure that every primary school will have a junior high school in Ghana," he said.

However, he noted that major gaps persisted, particularly in electricity and ICT facilities.

"Access to electricity in deprived districts is nearly twice as low as the national average, and this has serious implications for teaching, learning and overall educational outcomes," he stated. 

He added that both endowed and deprived districts had seen a decline in ICT infrastructure, limiting students' access to digital learning resources.

Gender parity

Mr Asare also raised concerns about a reversal in gender parity, which had been achieved by 2021 but had since declined.

"Fewer girls are enrolling and remaining in school, particularly in rural areas, and this trend needs urgent intervention," he said.

"At the national level, we are seeing impressive numbers, but when we look deeper, we find regional disparities, infrastructure challenges and gender parity issues that must be addressed," he stated.

He, therefore, called for targeted policy interventions to bridge the gap between endowed and deprived areas, ensure adequate school infrastructure and implement specific programmes to support girls’ education.

"Expanding school infrastructure, improving access to electricity and ICT and ensuring that every primary school has a junior high school are critical steps towards achieving equitable and quality education for all," he added.

Recommendations

Mr Asare recommended that the government and stakeholders adopt a targeted policy and budgeting system to address the divide between deprived and well-endowed areas in basic education. 

Call

A board member of EduWatch, Dorothy Konadu, stated that infrastructure and resource limitations were among the most pressing challenges affecting education.