Ghana’s Education Crisis: A Structural Cure for Declining Outcomes

The Deep Roots of Ghana’s Educational Crisis

The persistent crisis in Ghana’s universal education system does not begin in our senior high schools, such as Prempeh College. Its genesis lies much earlier, specifically in Basic 1. Each year, hundreds of thousands of children complete junior high school with alarming deficits in fundamental literacy and numeracy. They struggle to read fluently, write with clarity, or perform arithmetic with confidence.

By the time these students reach senior high school, the foundational damage is already extensive. Our senior high institutions are not receiving prepared learners; they are largely tasked with remediation. No high school system globally can effectively build higher-order reasoning skills on a non-existent foundation. The WASSCE results, which consistently highlight these deficiencies, merely expose weaknesses that were ingrained years prior.

The Double Track System: A Strategy Undermined

Recall the inception of the Double Track System. Conceived as a clever theoretical solution, its execution proved catastrophic. To expand access to education, the government introduced this system, aiming to optimize existing school infrastructure by running shifts and increasing contact hours year-round. On paper, it presented an efficient asset utilization strategy.

However, this efficiency was confined solely to the physical buildings. Enrollment surged, but the crucial operational backbone received no corresponding support. There was no adequate increase in:

• Teachers
• Teaching assistants
• Educational materials
• Laboratory facilities
• Supervision

The buildings were utilized twice as hard, but the system itself remained unchanged. In any other sector, leveraging assets without bolstering staffing would be considered a fundamental management error. In education, it was paradoxically treated as a strategy. The outcomes were entirely predictable: overcrowding escalated, with institutions like Prempeh College accommodating 4,000 students and Presec 3,000, leading to a severe collapse in quality.

WASSCE Results: Stark Evidence of Decline

The recent WASSCE results unequivocally highlight this decline:

• 131,097 students failed English Language.
• 220,008 students failed Core Mathematics.
• 161,606 students failed Integrated Science.
• 196,727 students failed Social Studies.

Yet, an even more damning truth emerges: these figures only account for the students who persevered long enough to sit for the exams. When this particular cohort began Class 1 twelve years earlier, approximately 4,000,000 children were in the system. Only a fraction ultimately completed senior high school, and among these survivors, nearly half failed the simplest core subjects. This is not merely a performance issue; it represents a structural implosion of the education system.

The Core Issue: Teacher Quality and Recruitment

The arithmetic is inescapable. Ghana disproportionately recruits its teachers from the academic bottom tier of secondary school graduates. Students unable to secure admission to more competitive universities often find their fallback option in teacher training colleges. The ramifications of this approach are not subtle.

Ghanaian teachers frequently enter classrooms possessing the very literacy and numeracy gaps they are expected to rectify. In contrast, high-performing nations like Estonia, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia (all of which have significantly diverged from Ghana’s developmental trajectory) implement rigorous selection processes, demanding strong subject mastery before pedagogical training. Ghana, regrettably, reverses this order, prioritizing pedagogical training and hoping subject competence will spontaneously follow—a hope that consistently remains unfulfilled. A system simply cannot produce what its teachers do not inherently possess.

Consider the seven areas where candidates struggled in the 2025 WASSCE Core Mathematics exam, as highlighted by Kofi Asare of EduWatch:

1. Representing mathematical information in diagrams
2. Solving global math-related problems
3. Constructing cumulative frequency tables
4. Making deductions from real-life problems
5. Solving simple interest applications
6. Translating word problems into mathematical expressions
7. Interpreting results from cumulative frequency data

These are not advanced concepts; they are foundational tools of mathematical reasoning. Any competent mathematics teacher worldwide should be capable of teaching these proficiently. The widespread failure of Ghanaian students in these areas conveys one absolute truth: far too many of their teachers also lack proficiency in these fundamental tasks.

Education as an Economic Imperative

Economists have long asserted that rising senior secondary completion rates drive economic growth, but only when accompanied by high-quality education. The ascensions of Estonia, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia’s steady climb are all predicated on a common foundation: a well-educated workforce capable of absorbing new technologies, adapting to evolving demands, and solving problems with minimal supervision. Unfortunately, while Ghana’s school completion rates are increasing, the quality of education is simultaneously declining. This dichotomy explains our stagnant productivity and faltering innovation, marking Ghana’s divergence from countries that strategically prioritize education as an economic driver.

Four Structural Policy Interventions for Systemic Repair

These are not mere suggestions; they are systemic repairs essential for Ghana’s educational future:

1. Decentralize School Management

   Accra cannot effectively manage 16,000 schools through remote control. Districts and municipalities must be empowered to hire, evaluate, supervise, and, when necessary, remove teachers. This local accountability is non-negotiable and is a characteristic feature of all nations that have outpaced us developmentally. Until districts assume ownership of educational outcomes, the system will continue to drift aimlessly.

2. Downsize the Ghana Education Service (GES) by 70%

   The GES is currently bloated, hoarding authority without demonstrably improving quality. A streamlined national body, focusing exclusively on curriculum development, certification, data management, and standards enforcement, would be significantly more effective. The current structure embodies managerial obesity.

3. Mandate Subject-Specific Degrees for All Teachers

   All prospective teachers must first earn a full degree in a substantive subject before undergoing teacher training or certification. Mathematics teachers must be trained mathematicians. English teachers must be fluent writers and readers. Science teachers must possess robust scientific literacy. There can be no exceptions or shortcuts. This is precisely how Estonia and South Korea forged their world-class educational systems, and Ghana must adopt a similar approach.

4. Reinvest GES Savings into District-Level Teacher Salaries

   High educational standards necessitate high incentives. A professionalized corps of teachers cannot be compensated like casual laborers. Redirecting administrative waste from a downsized GES into increased teacher salaries at the district level would immediately elevate the caliber of individuals attracted to the profession. Furthermore, utilizing proceeds from criminal activities and recoveries from corruption could further boost incentives for a more qualified teaching force.

Building Cognitive Capacity for Transformational Growth

We cannot simultaneously foster economic growth on the back of weak primary foundations, overcrowded secondary schools, and low-quality teachers. The link between education and GDP is not abstract; it is mechanistic. Human capital fuels productivity, and productivity, in turn, drives growth. If transformational growth is our aspiration, we must prioritize building the cognitive capacity of our children. This demands a fundamental redesign of the system, not merely a series of superficial patches. Ultimately, this comes down to political will and a serious commitment to purpose.

~ Hene Aku Kwapong, CDD Ghana Fellow, and a graduate of Prempeh College, who despite being last in class in Form 1, aced WASSCE due to the refuge found in a teacher nicknamed “Functions” who held a Master’s in Mathematics, leading to an admission to MIT.