Make teacher deployment in underserved schools top priority - Eduwatch to govt

Teacher deployment to underserved schools must be a top priority within the first quarter of this year, Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has advocated.

That, it said, was to prevent further learning disruptions and reduce the risk of increased pupil dropout arising from the absence of teachers in many classrooms.

It said the deployment process must be decentralised, transparent, and accountable to ensure equitable distribution and placement.

"Eduwatch remains committed to supporting the Government through technical assistance in policy and institutional strengthening, evidence-based advocacy, inclusive dialogue, and constructive accountability as Ghana advances toward its 2030 education goals," the organisation said.

Commence

In a New Year's message to the Daily Graphic, it said, "As we commence a new year and a decisive phase of the nation’s education reform journey, Eduwatch recognises the collaborative efforts by government and key stakeholders to transition electoral commitments into actionable policies, while mainstreaming them into the Education Strategic Plan through the new Education Sector Medium-Term Development Plan (2026–2029)."

It said that inclusive policy-making approach had been critical to ensuring policy coherence and continuity as the sector works towards achieving key equitable access and quality targets ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 end line in 2030. 

Governance

The emphasis on inclusive governance, it said, particularly the growing involvement of civil society organisations in policy design, dialogue, and accountability, represented a positive shift towards inclusive, evidence-based decision making.

The organisation said, for instance, the National Education Forum provided a national platform for mobilising citizens' input to enrich education manifesto commitments, while recognising, integrating, and building consensus around diverse perspectives from political parties, civil society organisations, and other education sector stakeholders on the future of the education system.

That, the message said, had laid a strong foundation for policy alignment and continuity, helping to stabilise reforms in a sector where fragmentation and abrupt transitions have often undermined outcomes.

"The uncapping of GETFund unlocked approximately GH¢6 billion for education, boosting stakeholder confidence in the government’s commitment to financing investments in the sector and contributing to an increase in education’s share of the national budget from GH¢32 billion in 2024 to GH¢42 billion in 2025.  

"The GH¢3.5 billion allocation to Free SHS further highlighted the new government’s strong commitment to policy continuity, a major concern of Eduwatch," it said.

Eduwatch said securing a more reliable GETFund funding stream for Free SHS, and consolidating same through the amendment of the GETFund Law to fully finance free SHS, had not only put to rest the issue of sustainable financing of free SHS, but had also helped address longstanding food procurement and supply chain disruptions, even as attempts to decentralise feeding arrangements require further refinement.

Basic education, it said, received some significant priority attention and recorded gains, with the allocation of 22 per cent of the overall education budget marking the highest share in four years.

Increments

It said Capitation Grant increments had been sustained, "curriculum review processes have commenced, and the rollout of free sanitary pads has begun for schoolgirls, addressing key barriers to their retention.

School feeding per-pupil expenditure increased from GH¢1.50 to GH¢2.00 per day, alongside an expansion of beneficiaries from 4.0 million to 4.2 million learners."