Ghana EFA Country Profile 14 General Context The republic of Ghana is a West African country located on the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered by Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and Togo to the east. With close to 25.4 million inhabitants, Ghana is ranked as a lower-middle income country with GDP per capita of US$ 1,5. Over the past 12 years, real GDP per capita has risen by 4. percent per year, the real growth of national wealth (6.6 percent per year) having significantly overstepped that of population growth (2.5 percent per year). In 12, the primary school-aged population represented 14.9 percent of the total population. Although continuing to represent a constraint for the education system, this level is slightly below the Sub-Saharan African average (17.6 percent). One of the constraints that appear to be under control is that related to the prevalence of HIV&AIDS, now 1.5 percent, significantly lower than the Sub-Saharan African average (5.4 percent). In terms of the Human Development Index (HDI), Ghana is ranked 1 th out of 187 countries. Demographic and Macroeconomic Context (12) GDP per Capita (US$) 1,5 Total Population ( ) 25,366 % of the Population of School Age 14.9 % of Out-of-School Children of School Age 17.7 HIV&AIDS Prevalence (15-49 years) 1.5% HDI (Ranking) 1/187 Key EFA Indicators for 12 or Most Recent Year The African EFA Development Index for Ghana is estimated at 77.2 for 12. This index has witnessed a positive evolution over the period, as it was 52.3 in. Ghana s ranking is relatively favorable compared to Sub-Saharan Africa, whose average index is 57.1. This improvement can be attributed to the progress made over the decade, in particular in terms of primary completion and the increase in the share of literate adults. African EFA Development Index (EDI) Ghana (77) SSA (57) SSA Max (91) SSA Min (8) Considering the three EFA goals that the index is based on, the primary completion rate (Goal 2) that was already 68 percent in, has witnessed strong growth over the period. It is estimated to have reached 98.2 percent in 12, indicating that universal primary education has now been achieved. The share of literate individuals aged 15 years and above (Goal 4) has also witnessed a clear rise over the decade (from 57.9 percent in to 71.5 percent in 9). Gender parity at the primary level (Goal 5) was achieved in 12 (95 percent) in as much as UPE was also achieved. It is noteworthy that parity had already been virtually
achieved in, with a girl/boy GER ratio of 93 percent. Regarding other key EFA goals, the pre-primary GER (Goal 1), that stood at 5.1 percent in, has doubled to reach 1. percent in 12, indicating that all children of preschool age are effectively enrolled. In relation to Goal 3, although this does not fully measure it, the lower secondary completion rate has witnessed further progress, from 53 percent in to 66 percent in 12, almost twice the regional average. Goal 1 Early Childhood Care and Education Goal 2 Universal Education Goal 3 Learning Needs of All Youth and Adults Goal 4 Improving Levels of Adult Literacy Goal 5 Gender Parity in Education Preprimary Enrollment Rate 1 1 1 8 Completion Rate 1 98 1 8 67 Completion Rate 1 1 8 66 Adult Literacy Rate 1 8 71 68 94 Level Gender Parity Index 1 95 94 1 8 6 6 6 6 6 55 4 4 4 4 4 24 (5) 1 (68) 8 (53) 1 (58) (93) Goal 6 Educational Quality Legend Goals 1 to 5 Ghana (Value for or close in parenthesis) Sub-Saharan African Average SSA Range (min/max) Enrollment: Education Pyramids 12 or Most Recent Year In reviewing the EFA goals, the data presented in the country profile provide greater detail of the evolution of schooling (access, retention and transition) and equity indicators. Progress achieved by Ghana in terms of primary completion between 1 and 12 relates to both improved access, that became universal over this period, but also to improved completion, that was almost universal in 12 (98 percent of a generation complete a primary education cycle of six years). Following this development of primary, access to the secondary cycle has increased by 23 points, from 64 percent in to 87 percent in 12, whereas the completion of this cycle increased from 53 percent in to 66 percent in 12. Thus, in 12, two-thirds of a generation benefitted from a full education of nine years. At upper secondary, whereas 14 percent of a generation completed the cycle in, 4 percent did so in 12. The coverage of higher education has virtually doubled over the period, from 559 students per 1, inhabitants in 5 to 1,164 students in 12. Finally, the share of technical education in total secondary enrollment has tripled between and 12, from 1.3 percent to 3.9 percent.
Equity in School Access and Schooling Careers 12 or Most Recent Year In terms of equity, girl/boy parity is now achieved at the primary (girl/boy GER ratio of.95) and lower secondary (girl/boy GER ratio of.94) levels. At the upper secondary level, a slight iniquity in favor of boys persists, the ratio between the GER for girls and the GER for boys being.88. The situation is more critical in terms of higher education, where the gender parity index based on the number of students per 1, inhabitants is.59.
Learning Quality 12 or Most Recent Year With respect to the quality of learning (Goal 6), the available information provides a mitigated picture. 1 The results of a test carried out by the World Bank in 9 (World Bank Ghana Survey, 9), focusing on primary Grade 3 math and English curriculum content and administered to primary Grade 3 and Grade 5 pupils, reveal that close to half the Grade 5 pupils were unable to properly answer 5 percent of the questions. The results of the NEA (National Education Assessment) tests carried out in 5, 7 and 9 by the education ministry do however reveal a significant improvement in the quality of learning outcomes over the period. For primary Grade 3 pupils, the share having attained the minimum required level in English and math respectively increased from 5. percent and 47.2 percent in 5 to 57.6 percent and 61.2 percent in 9. For primary Grade 6 pupils, these shares increased from 63.9 and 47.2 percent in 5 to 76.9 and 61.9 percent in 9. 1 Education in Ghana: Improving Equity, Efficiency and Accountability of Education Service Delivery (World Bank, 1).
Education Financing 12 or Most Recent Year Sub-Saharan African Minimum Ghana Sub-Saharan African Average Sub-Saharan African Maximum Resource Mobilization, 11 Distribution of Education Budget, 1 Government Revenue as % of GDP 1 19 66 (incl. TVET) 11 18 3 44 55 65 Educ. Current Exp. as % of Government Current Expenditure 8 22 28 41 Higher Educ. Other Levels 7 7 5 23 24 47 Despite the economic growth of the past ten years, the government has barely maintained its level of domestic revenue as a percentage of GDP. This share increased slightly from 18.1 percent in to 19.4 percent in 11, placing it slightly below the Sub-Saharan African average ( percent). The share of public recurrent expenditure allocated to education in 1 was 27.8 percent. This is higher than both the old. percent Fast-Track indicative framework benchmark and the Sub-Saharan African average (22. percent). Its 1 level (25.3 percent) already reflected a real government priority for education. With respect to the sector s distribution of recurrent education spending, the share allocated to primary education has been grossly stable at about 34 percent between 5 and 1, a level below the Sub-Saharan African average (44 percent) and which generally characterizes countries having attained UPE. Overall, percent and 23 percent of recurrent education spending are respectively allocated to secondary (including TVET) and higher education. Data for lower secondary and TVET show that the shares allocated to these cycles have stagnated, at around 18 percent and 1 percent respectively. Education Policy Parameters 12 or Most Recent Year The public unit cost for primary was 26.6 percent of GDP per capita in 8, which was comparatively higher than the Sub-Saharan African average (11 percent of GDP per capita). This result is explained by the relatively high average remuneration of teachers (4.7 units of GDP per capita), higher than the Sub-Saharan African average (3.4 units) as well as a comparatively low pupil-teacher ratio (34:1, against 44:1 for Sub-Saharan Africa). These choices weigh negatively on the share of non-teacher salary expenditure (that is devoted to administrative and pedagogic spending). This is just percent, whereas it reaches 24 percent on average for Sub-Saharan African countries and the Fast-Track benchmark was 33 percent.
Sub-Saharan African Minimum Ghana Sub-Saharan African Average Sub-Saharan African Maximum Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Schools, 12 Public Teachers Average Salary (% of GDPpc), 7 13 34 44 88.8 4.7 3.4 7.1 13 17 62 1.3 4.7 4.8 11.6 7 25 26 48 1.3 4.8 5.9 11.6 % of Current Spending Other than Teachers Salaries, 7 Percentage of Repeaters, 12 12.6 19.9 24.4 65.8 1. 2.8 12.6 4.4 6.4 26.2 63.5.3 3.8 13.4 26. 19.9 31.8 66..5 1.3 13.3 29.7 % of Pupils in Private Schools, 12 Public Cost per Student (% of GDP pc, Cur. Exp.), 12.5 22 14..4 19.2.5 9 27.5 54.2 57.3 8.4 (incl. TVET) TVET Higher Education 4 27 11 6 23 24 16 43 161 612 18 34 179 38 2147 75
The private supply of primary education appears to be high compared to other countries given that 22 percent of enrollment is concentrated there, compared to a 14 percent average for Sub-Saharan African countries. Reviewing post primary education levels, the value of public unit costs for secondary education (23 percent of GDP per capita) is similar to that of Sub-Saharan African countries. The cost of higher education (33.7 percent of GDP per capita) is, on the other hand, significantly higher than the Sub- Saharan African average (178.8 percent of GDP per capita). The trend is inverted for TVET, whose development over the period was noted earlier and whose public unit costs (42.7 percent of GDP per capita) are very weak compared to the Sub-Saharan African average (161 percent of GDP per capita). At the secondary education level, the level of teacher remuneration is identical to that of primary teachers for the lower cycle, but lower than the average for the upper cycle (4.8 units and 5.9 units of GDP per capita, respectively).