Education system in Ghana

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A school class in Ghana.

The education system in Ghana is based on the one hand on state schools that have been developed right down to the country's villages. There are also some offers from private schools and Koran schools . All three systems can be freely chosen by the parents of the schoolchildren and are basically of equal value. It follows from this, for example, that students in a Koran school can switch to the public school. However, this change sometimes requires a downgrade in the class, i.e. at least a partial repetition of a school year.

General

The basic training extends over a period of 9 years. It starts with kindergarten through primary school to junior high school. After graduating from Junior High School, you can still attend Senior High School, after which you are entitled to study. Schooling is compulsory in Ghana. However, school fees have to be paid in almost all schools. If the families cannot afford this school fee, it can happen that the children have to miss school for a year.

In Ghana there is an obligation to wear a school uniform that has to be financed by the parents. The boys wear knee-length trousers and a short-sleeved shirt or polo shirt. The girls wear a pinafore to their knees or a blouse and skirt. The colors of the school uniforms depend on the individual school. There are various color combinations, for example from brown-orange to blue-white to green-yellow.

The schoolchildren meet at seven in the morning on the school forecourt and hold a small parade. Carefully lined up in rows, they sing the national anthem .

The school year starts in mid-September and ends in early August.

Structure of the education system

In Ghana, especially in the cities, children are often placed in kindergartens at an early age. Several trained educators take care of a larger group of preschool children.

Primary School

In Ghana, children usually start school at the age of six. After starting school, there are six years in a primary school , of which there are around 12,630 in Ghana. This school can be compared with the German primary schools . The children are taught the basics of reading and writing as well as mathematics . There is also the subject General Science , in which all natural sciences are combined. Social studies and sports are other subjects. The language of instruction is English , but also the local dominant language ( e.g. Akan , Twi ).

Junior high school

The education at the primary schools is supplemented by the i. d. Usually three-year junior high school , which students usually attend between the ages of 12 and 15. This junior high school ends with the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). There are around 5,450 schools of this type in Ghana.

This basic training should be available to every child and young person in Ghana and should enable every individual to switch to vocational training or higher education . Unfortunately, some families also fail to graduate due to the lack of financial resources.

In the junior high school, in-depth knowledge is taught in the already known subjects.

Senior high school

The senior high school is a station comparable in its main features to the German upper level, in which the pupils are to be prepared for attending a university, technical college or further qualifying education. The pupils are usually from 15 to 18 years of age, i.e. for a further three school years, in this upper level . There are around 503 schools of this type in Ghana.

The Senior High School ends with the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), which is used as access authorization for participation in higher education.

Higher education

The higher education system in Ghana includes the universities , technical colleges , technical colleges , professional institutes and pre-service training institutes . All higher education institutions are grouped together in the National Council for Tertiary Education , which is a counseling and coordination institution at the national level. The Council is headed by the Minister of Education.

Every single educational establishment has its own council and administration or similar institution. The universities of applied sciences that offer programs for the completion of the Higher National Diploma (HND) are currently in a state of upheaval and should in future also offer courses on the same level as the universities.

A degree at a higher level of education as part of a distance learning course ( Ghana National Tertiary Level Distance Education Program ) also opens up the field of higher education for those students who need a higher degree of flexibility in their own education. This is used, for example, by students who, due to the family's financial situation, can still afford the tuition fees, but not the cost of studying in another city with accommodation and meals.

Older adults who may already be in their jobs can also use this program to catch up on their university degree and thus open up other career opportunities.

This distance learning program is mainly based on scripts and other written documents, but also uses multimedia support. In many cases, the course is decisively supported by e-mail and generally via internet access.

Training of teachers

At the moment, teacher training as part of basic training, i.e. primary school teachers and junior high school teachers, is not yet taking place at university level. There are independent teacher training centers for this training ( post-secondary teachers training college ). The training lasts three years following the Senior High School and can only be started with the submission of the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). At the end of the training, the Post-Secondary Teachers Certificate A is awarded. The curriculum of this educational institution has been revised in order to do justice to the changes in content and methods within the framework of the basic training.

Teachers of Senior High School to the University of Education in Winneba ( University for Education to make a one-year course) that the certificate A ( Certificate A closes) for non-professional teachers in technical and vocational subjects.

Also in Winneba, holders of Certificate A, the Specialist Certificate or the completion of two subjects at university up to diploma level can take a three-year course to become a senior teacher. A two-year course is offered to holders of a diploma or certificate in educational studies .

Teachers for the higher education level will be trained in universities in two to three years. Here they graduate with a master's degree or a doctorate.

Colleges

Some of the younger colleges were founded by churches or religious communities as private universities.

The universities attract many students from other West African countries because of their level of education and the wide range of subjects they can choose from.

See also: List of Universities in Ghana

University degrees

Universities offer three types of degree: First Degree, Second Degree, Doctorate (PhD)

First Degree - Bachelor

The universities in Ghana

offer four-year courses for Senior Secondary School graduates with the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). This course is shortened to three years for candidates with GCE A level. At some of the universities you can also take a two-year course.

Second degree - master

The master’s course can be attended by students who already have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Two years of full-time studies or four years of part-time studies must be proven for the master’s degree. At least two semesters have to be proven at the university. The graduates receive the degree Graduate Diploma, Master or Master of Philosophy (MPhil). For the MPhil degree, in addition to the two-year study period as a full-time student, proof of one-year case work and research with a thesis paper is required. It is possible to switch to the MPhil or PhD course once the shorter Master's course has been started.

Doctorate

Only students with a Master's or Master of Philosophy degree have access to the doctoral degree (PhD). The doctoral students must complete the first two years at the university. If the Master or Master of Philosophy was previously completed at the same university, this time is reduced to one year.

Thereafter, the studies must be continued outside the university for at least one year. The doctoral degree is only awarded when the graduate has completed his research work including the presentation and defense of the theses. The acquisition of the doctorate requires a period of at least three years.

Other higher education degrees

The higher technical or professional training is still offered by technical colleges and so-called Post-Secondary Preservie Training Institutions .

Such are for example

  • Health Training Institute (Health Education Institute)
  • Nursing Training Colleges (Nurse School - Nursing Professions)
  • Agricultural Colleges (agricultural college)
  • Schools of Forestry Training (vocational school for forestry)
  • Teacher Training Colleges (teacher training college)

The courses in these educational institutions usually last three years and end with a certificate or diploma.

Universities of applied sciences offer courses in economics, engineering, applied arts, natural sciences or technology.

Legal basis

The education system is essentially based on a few laws. The following are to be mentioned:

  • Act 87, the Education Parts IV and V, Year 1961; concerns higher education
  • NLC Decree 401, Year 1969; concerns universities and the like
  • PNDC Law 42, Year 1983; Changes to the educational system from 1961
  • White Paper on Reforms to the Tertiary Education System, Year 1991; Expansion of the higher education sector

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