Ghana needs to increase education spending from about 3.1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 5.8% by 2030 to meet education-related Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, according to Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch).
The organisation said the country faces a significant education financing gap, with current spending falling well below the level it estimates will be required to meet Ghana’s development ambitions.
The finding is contained in an Eduwatch policy brief examining concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over Ghana’s education financing and progress towards universal secondary education.According to the brief, the IMF estimates that Ghana would require education spending equivalent to about 5.8% of GDP by 2030 to meet education-related SDG benchmarks.
Ghana currently spends about 3.1% of GDP on education, pointing to a substantial gap between existing expenditure and the resources required to achieve the targets.
Eduwatch, however, said closing the financing gap should not be reduced to simply increasing government expenditure.
“Ghana requires more education resources, but it must also secure greater value from both existing and additional expenditure,” the organisation said.
It said additional funding must translate into measurable improvements in access, completion, equity, quality and learning outcomes.
The organisation identified teachers, classrooms and other infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, school-level financing, effective supervision and foundational learning as areas requiring sustained investment.
Eduwatch said the financing challenge was particularly important at the basic education level because weaknesses in access, retention and completion ultimately limit the number of children who can progress to secondary education.
It also called for education financing to be targeted more towards disadvantaged learners and communities.
The brief said low-income households, rural communities, deprived districts, out-of-school children and learners at risk of dropping out should receive greater support.
Eduwatch said equal distribution of resources across districts with significantly different educational needs did not necessarily produce equitable outcomes.
It therefore recommended that resource allocation increasingly take into account factors including deprivation, infrastructure deficits and the incidence of out-of-school children.
The organisation also urged greater efficiency and better targeting of the Free SHS/TVET programme, particularly towards poorer households.
The financing concerns come as Ghana seeks to expand access to secondary education while improving learning outcomes.
Eduwatch said achieving universal secondary education would require both adequate financing and more effective use of public resources.
It said increased spending without improvements in efficiency, equity and accountability could fail to produce the desired gains in Ghana’s education system.
