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Low budget, teacher absenteeism, causes of poor performance in basic School.
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UNICEF education team and journalists at the event
The decline in budget allocation for Ghana’s basic education sector and high rate of teacher absenteeism have been identified as some of the major causes for the drop in performance of school children at that level of education.
According to a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) statistics, a significant decline in basic school allocation has been recorded in recent years, explaining that in 2019, 39 per cent of the education budget was allocated to basic education, but that figure dropped to 19.6 per cent in 2024.
This came to light last week Thursday at the third UNICEF Media Café addressed by the Chief of the UNICEF Education team, Ms Christin McConnell.
According to her, about 98 per cent of the current budget allocated to basic education is spent on salaries, leaving little room for resources such as infrastructure, learning materials, and teacher training which she said had directly impacted the quality of education received by children.
Also, she stated that about 11 per cent of teachers are absent from school on any given day across all the levels, contributing to the non-effective learning for almost six years.
Despite these challenges, Ms McConnell noted that there had been significant progress in early childhood education with over 120,000 kindergarten children receiving basic learning materials and health screening as part of an initiative dubbed, ‘My First Day at School.’
She further stated that UNICEF’s differentiated learning programme which aims at providing remedial education to struggling students has also been instrumental in improving quality and early childhood education.
An Education Officer at UNICEF Ghana, Ms Rhoda Enchill speaking on access and inclusion in education disclosed that an estimated 40,000 children with disabilities in Ghana had never attended school.
According to her, the figure underscores the ongoing challenges faced by children with special needs in accessing education, despite government efforts to make school more inclusive.
She mentioned that 1.2 million children aged between four and 17 were still out of school across Ghana, adding that the figure included 623,000 primary school-aged children who are not enrolled.
Ms Enchill said despite the progress made in access to education, foundational learning levels remain low explaining that children were still struggling to read at the grade levels.
She indicated that results from the 2022 National Standard Test (NCT) revealed that only five out of 10 children in grade four could read.
And as part of efforts to standardise and promote inclusivity and sign language in the country, Ghana has developed a harmonised sign language dictionary for deaf teachers and learners.
A sign language dictionary is a resource that provides definitions, illustrations, or video demonstrations of signs used in a specific sign language.
The dictionary, she stated, will serve as a reference for both deaf and hearing individuals to learn and understand the meanings and hand gestures associated with words, phrases, or concepts in sign language.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
The 29th Annual Dagaaba-Frafra Friendly Games have once again demonstrated that sports can be a powerful vehicle for cultural preservation, business networking, friendship and peaceful coexistence.
Held at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra last Saturday, the games brought together members of the two ethnic groups from across Ghana and abroad for a colourful celebration under the theme, “Unity in Diversity: The Dagaaba-Frafra Model for Peaceful Co-existence.”
The event, which has evolved from a friendly football match into a major annual gathering, featured football, volleyball, sack races, lime and spoon, tug-of-peace and a penalty shootout for senior citizens.
At the end of the competitions, the Frafra won four events, while the Dagaaba secured victories in five, with the men’s soccer match ending in a draw.
The Frafra triumphed in the men’s lime and spoon, men’s sack race, women’s sack race and women’s soccer, while the Dagaaba won the women’s lime and spoon, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s tug-of-peace and the senior citizens’ penalty shootout.
However, the games extended far beyond the sporting arena. The stadium grounds and surrounding spaces became a vibrant marketplace, with patrons enjoying and purchasing a variety of traditional foods, drinks and cultural products.
Local delicacies, including TZ, tubaani, bambara beans, pork, guinea fowl, local fowls, dog meat and kosie, were sold alongside traditional alcoholic beverages. Traditional dresses and other culturally inspired items also attracted buyers, turning the gathering into an important platform for small businesses and vendors to make sales while promoting northern Ghanaian culture.
The cultural exchange continued long after the final sporting contests, as patrons remained at the venue to eat, drink, socialise, dance and party well into the night.
In her remarks, the Guest of Honour, Dr Matilda Aberese-Ako, said the gathering represented much more than competition, describing the Dagaaba-Frafra relationship as a historic bond that had evolved into a modern sporting tradition and an instrument for peace.
MTN Ghana has been the headline sponsor for the games for the past 10 years.
By Gordon Wellu
By Gordon Wellu
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MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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