The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has launched its research and briefing papers on ‘Social Accountability in Education’ at a ceremony held in Accra. The reports include State of Infrastructure in Ghanaian Schools, Gender and School Infrastructure, Disability and Infrastructure, Satisfaction with Education Service Delivery, Gaps in Public Basic Education Services, and Citizens’ Experience with School Infrastructure.
Other research papers are Gaps and Barriers to Basic Education Services Delivery, Tracking Provision of School Infrastructure and Citizen Report Card on Delivery of Education Services in Public Primary Schools in Ghana.
The objective of the launch is to stimulate public discourse, inform policy stakeholders on our collective efforts to enhance quality education and promote the need for compliance to the details of the Disability Act (Act 715) regarding education in Ghana; and enhance the promotion of social accountability in the education sector.
Senior Research Officer at CDD-Ghana, Edward Fokuoh Ampratwum, in his presentation of the reports revealed that one-fifth of households within the catchment area of six project districts posit that none of their children attended school due to financial constraints.
It also revealed more than 56% of respondents admitted their schools lacked library facilities to enable out of school reading and learning; 83% of schools within these districts had neither access to ramps nor hand rails, hence, remaining unfriendly to persons with disabilities PWDs. There was increased rate of teacher absenteeism.
In spite of government’s effort to improve access to quality education, text books and other TLMs, stakeholders raised concerns over the dire situation and acute inadequacy of TLMs- an issue having the potential of offsetting Ghana’s attainment of the MDG2 and the EFA goals.
Chairman at the launch, and Former-Director –General of the GES, Charles Aheto-Tsegah called for the need of Government and all stakeholders to step up efforts of, especially, making all public schools disability friendly. He also warned government’s default in ensuring access to PWD’s could result in them (government) been dragged to court by the Ghana Federation of Disabled.
The research studies were conducted in collaboration and funding from the Results for Development (R4D), an international NGO based in Washington DC, and Ghana’s multi-donor funded Strengthening Transparency and Responsiveness Project (STAR-Ghana).