Papers by Dr. Gideon Kofi Agbley
The completion of senior high school (SHS) is important for the formation of youth aspirations wi... more The completion of senior high school (SHS) is important for the formation of youth aspirations with regard to professional employment. Currently, youth who drop out take up jobs in the informal sector, while successful students are able to gain access to professions. While private schooling seems to be a stepping stone to professional employment there is a strong gendering of subject choices at SHS level that gives girls less opportunities in the job market. One solution appears to lie in provide new areas of professional jobs such as in sport or entertainment industries at the top end, and to improve and regularise informal sector training at the bottom end.
UDS International Journal of Development, 2015
Education has a central role in improving the life-chances of an individual and in the benefit th... more Education has a central role in improving the life-chances of an individual and in the benefit that accrues to society from an educated populace. Formal education is viewed as an opportunity for working class children to advance socially while the widening of access to secondary and tertiary education is as a step towards a meritocratic society. The 2013 Ghana Report of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) shows that steady progress has been made towards attainment of equal access of girls and boys to education. Meanwhile gender disparity within programme choices continues to exist at the secondary school level. The paper asks the fundamental question why girls continue to dominate in Home Economics departments while boys are inclined to offer mathematics and technical/scientific subjects in secondary schools. The focus is on factors beyond the school. The paper draws on primary fieldwork conducted through a comparative study of 15-23 year olds in Obuasi, Ghana and secondary data from three post-basic institutions. The research used qualitative data collection tools and analysed the data using Atlas-ti. Findings show that girl's programmes of study are not influenced by school factors alone, but also by significant male relations towards programmes that are perceived to be less maths inclined. In order to overcome such patriarchal tendencies three capability spaces are identified as significant in capturing girls' agency when selecting secondary school programme of study.
Education is a key pathway to ensure that youth break out of the inter-generational cycle of pove... more Education is a key pathway to ensure that youth break out of the inter-generational cycle of poverty. The role played by parental perceptions in decisions regarding school choice has important consequences for the educational outcomes of youth in poor communities. Qualitative data collected on the Public Private Partnerships and educational outcomes for the Poor (P3EOP) indicates that there is a divergence between parental and youth generations regarding the impact of school type on educational outcomes in both Ghana and Pakistan. While parents focus more on the economic opportunities that are becoming available with the greater availability of new private providers, youth are more cynical about any positive benefits that accrue from increased educational provision. Youth perceptions accord greater importance to the difficulties encountered in their schooling experience than to school type. The major concerns of youth are that the parental generation are not fully informed about the...
Ghana Journal of Development Studies, 2019
The phenomenon of land grabbing in developing countries has led to worsening livelihood choices f... more The phenomenon of land grabbing in developing countries has led to worsening livelihood choices for smallholder farmers who depended on communal lands for subsistence. While previous analyses of land grabs were framed in a paradigm that emphasised outcomes, this study is framed within a human development approach which places emphasis on both outcomes and procedural concerns. The procedural concerns are in relation to representation prior to and during negotiations for land acquisitions. The study is based on analysis of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to assess BioFuel Africa Limited's investments in two communities in northern Ghana. Results show the company is no longer operating its jatropha (jatropha curcas) plantation and therefore the inability to provide jobs promised. Meanwhile the clearing of large contiguous tracts of lands have had devastating impacts on the livelihoods of women and men. The study revealed that there was poor participation of women in all stages and processes of the land acquisitions for the project, and that the land acquirer had failed to fully implement the procedural concerns of equity, efficiency, participation and sustainability in the acquisitions of lands for the project. It is recommended that large-scale land deals should be conditioned on proper disposal and utilization of lands within specified time frames, failure for which land is reverted to original use.
The chapter discusses how the security of communal lands tenureship and the livelihood choices th... more The chapter discusses how the security of communal lands tenureship and the livelihood choices that such land entitlements confer on peasants in northern Ghana are being undermined by new forms of land deals. This is done against a background unlike the past. Northern Ghana is witnessing an influx of transnational organizations that are interested in establishing jatropha plantations as biofuel feedstock. The implications of direct land deals between traditional leaders and transnational corporations, which invariably involve large tracts of land and the livelihoods of the peasantry, is a matter of interest in this work. The vulnerability of traditional leaders caused by their weak institutional capacity and poverty push them to enter into agreements that they do not understand. The chapter examines both sides of the debate pertaining to the outcomes of the land transactions on livelihoods in light of the poverty in northern Ghana.
Advances in African economic, social and political development, 2022
Ghana Journal of Development Studies, 2021
Worldwide, quality education is a platform for social and personal development. In recent times, ... more Worldwide, quality education is a platform for social and personal development. In recent times, pupils in basic schools in Nandom Municipality seem not to acquire critical learning skills and consequently are underperforming. This paper investigates the interrelated and multi-dimensional factors affecting quality education in basic schools in the Nandom Municipality. Through the system andhuman capital theories, the paper draws a link between the various kinds of educational inputs pupils receive, the processing of such inputs and their outcomes, which reflect in their academic performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The study employed a mixed research methods design. Cluster sampling technique and purposive sampling technique were used to selectrespondents. The study found that many pupils are not acquiring foundational knowledge in Literacy and Mathematics as reflected in the BECE performance due to inadequate educational resources, poor school manageme...
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Papers by Dr. Gideon Kofi Agbley