Papers by Leslie Casely-hayford
Ghana's Free Senior High School policy, which was introduced in 2017, is the most prominent and c... more Ghana's Free Senior High School policy, which was introduced in 2017, is the most prominent and comprehensive free secondary education policy in the region. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives-students, parents, and school leaders-focusing on their perspectives on and experiences with the policy. The findings show that stakeholders generally appreciated the improvement in access, especially for low-income students and those from remote rural areas. However, they also indicated that the policy led to an inflow of unprepared students and exacerbated preexisting challenges related to scarce school resources and quality. Moreover, stakeholders believed that free secondary education reduced student motivation and increased the demand for boarding instead of day schooling. Based on these findings, we discuss options for improving the implementation of free secondary education policies and the Free SHS policy in particular.
International Journal of Educational Development, Jul 1, 2018
This article contributes to the growing interest in the compromises which African models of citiz... more This article contributes to the growing interest in the compromises which African models of citizenship education make between Western and indigenous curricular agendas. It traces how Nkrumah's educational ideals were reshaped by the teaching of human rights, individual independence, enterprise and economic development. We employ historical policy research, a critical literature review and interviews with key officials to construct a chronology of Ghanaian civic education, providing insights into postcolonial dilemmas around promoting national unity over social difference, critical learning and child-centred pedagogy, the valuing of indigenous cultures, challenging social inequalities and the need for the 'decolonisation of the mind' (Sefa Dei 2005b).
Research Review of the Institute of African Studies, Sep 14, 2009
Research in Ghana suggests that very few female teachers accept and stay in teaching posts in rur... more Research in Ghana suggests that very few female teachers accept and stay in teaching posts in rural deprived areas. This article is based on a study conducted across six districts in three diverse geographic zones of Ghana with the lowest percentage of female teachers. The article provides evidence as to why the Government of Ghana has found it difficult to post female teachers to rural areas and the challenges which female teachers face once serving in these areas. The article also explores the strategies which could be used to attract more teachers to these areas and provides a framework for investigating the nature of posting women and the implications for the girl child. Resume Des recherches menees au Ghana laissent croire que tres peu d’enseignantes acceptent d’exercer ou de vivre dans les regions rurales defavorisees du pays. Cet article est le fruit d’une etude menee dans six districts situes dans trois zones geographiques differentes du Ghana qui ont le plus bas pourcentage d’enseignantes. L'article propose des preuves pour expliquer pourquoi les autorites ghaneennes ont souvent du mal a affecter des enseignantes en zone rurale et souligne aussi les difficultes auxquelles font face des enseignantes dans ces regions defavorisees. L'article explore egalement les strategies a adopter pour attirer davantage d’enseignantes dans ces regions tout en proposant un cadre conceptuel pour l’analyse de la specificite de l’affectation des femmes et de ses implications pour la formation des petites filles.
16, 2008
In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a set of educational reforms which culminated in the... more In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a set of educational reforms which culminated in the reduction of pre-tertiary education from 17 to 12 years and the introduction of measures to improve access, equity and quality at all levels of the educational system. The reforms focused primarily on basic education, which had undergone a decade of decline in quality, but higher levels of education were also given some attention. The reforms were launched at a time of a severe economic downturn-the economy had posted three successive years of negative growth-and a diminished capacity of government to finance development. In response, donors became increasingly involved in the provision of finance and technical assistance. As new modalities of aid began to be established, technical and financial assistance was provided to the government for both the preparation and implementation of the reforms. Over the course of the reforms, total donor assistance is estimated at between US$1.5 billion and US$2.0 billion. As the economy began to recover substantially from its malaise of the 1980s, the government's educationsector expenditure, as a share of GDP, increased from 1.4per cent in 1987 to 5.7 per cent in 2006, albeit remaining lower than the 6.4 per cent recorded in 1976. This study documents a mixed record of implementation and outcomes of the reforms, with some indicators showing highly uneven improvements over two decades. As regards primary enrolments, for example, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) increased from 76 in 1987 to 79 in 1991, but fell back again to 73 by 1997. By 2001, the ratio had recovered to 80 but then slid to 78 by the 2003/2004 academic year. Participation in basic education, which comprises both primary and junior secondary schooling, remained "free and compulsory" over the period. The introduction of capitation grants for schools in September 2005 reduced direct costs to households by replacing the various levies that schools imposed on parents for extra-curricular activities. This led to a 17 per cent increase in primary enrolments nationwide (with GER rising to 86) in 2005/6. This increase in school enrolments, while desirable in terms of moving the country towards meeting its objective of providing universal basic education for all Ghanaian children of school-going age, was followed, predictably, by a decline in education quality as the provision of additional teachers, facilities, and logistics lagged behind the capitation grant. A fresh set of educational reforms, scheduled to commence in September 2007, is intended to address these problems. Issues of funding adequacy, coordination and sustainability of donor financing for these reforms, however, remain largely unresolved-especially as donor disbursements in recent years have fallen short of commitments. 1 1 Associates for Change (AfC) is a research and consulting firm based in Ghana. AfC is the lead research organisation in Ghana working with the Research Consortium on Educational Outcomes and Poverty (RECOUP), a DFID supported research project.
The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main... more The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main constraints militating against girls' access and achievement in basic education in Ghana. Studies suggest that low self-esteem among girls is a key factor preventing them from attaining higher levels of education, which can be enhanced through more gender sensitive teaching methods, and the presence of female teachers as role models. This paper investigates the reasons why the majority of Ghanaian teachers avoid –if they can postings to rural deprived areas and why girls, in particular, are not entering the teaching profession. The study adopts a predominantly qualitative approach, exploring the perceptions of primary stakeholders involved in basic education, including female teachers living in deprived rural areas, girls at upper primary and secondary levels of education and community members. Districts with the lowest percentage of female teachers were selected for the study – whe...
8, Sep 12, 2007
The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main... more The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main constraints militating against girls' access and achievement in basic education in Ghana. Studies suggest that low self-esteem among girls is a key factor preventing them from attaining higher levels of education, which can be enhanced through more gender sensitive teaching methods, and the presence of female teachers as role models. This paper investigates the reasons why the majority of Ghanaian teachers avoid-if they can-postings to rural deprived areas and why girls, in particular, are not entering the teaching profession. The study adopts a predominantly qualitative approach, exploring the perceptions of primary stakeholders involved in basic education, including female teachers living in deprived rural areas, girls at upper primary and secondary levels of education and community members. Districts with the lowest percentage of female teachers were selected for the study-where, also, the lowest percentage of girls enter and remain in the basic school system. The paper suggests reasons why Ghanaian girls continue to miss the opportunity to be taught by female role models and why they do not opt to become teachers themselves.
The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main... more The low presence of female teachers serving in schools in deprived rural areas is one of the main constraints militating against girls' access and achievement in basic education in Ghana. Studies suggest that low self-esteem among girls is a key factor preventing them from attaining higher levels of education, which can be enhanced through more gender sensitive teaching methods, and the presence of female teachers as role models. This paper investigates the reasons why the majority of Ghanaian teachers avoid-if they can-postings to rural deprived areas and why girls, in particular, are not entering the teaching profession. The study adopts a predominantly qualitative approach, exploring the perceptions of primary stakeholders involved in basic education, including female teachers living in deprived rural areas, girls at upper primary and secondary levels of education and community members. Districts with the lowest percentage of female teachers were selected for the study-where, also, the lowest percentage of girls enter and remain in the basic school system. The paper suggests reasons why Ghanaian girls continue to miss the opportunity to be taught by female role models and why they do not opt to become teachers themselves.
In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a set of educational reforms which culminated in the... more In 1987, the Government of Ghana embarked on a set of educational reforms which culminated in the reduction of pre-tertiary education from 17 to 12 years and the introduction of measures to improve access, equity and quality at all levels of the educational system. The reforms focused primarily on basic education, which had undergone a decade of decline in quality, but higher levels of education were also given some attention. The reforms were launched at a time of a severe economic downturn-the economy had posted three successive years of negative growth-and a diminished capacity of government to finance development. In response, donors became increasingly involved in the provision of finance and technical assistance. As new modalities of aid began to be established, technical and financial assistance was provided to the government for both the preparation and implementation of the reforms. Over the course of the reforms, total donor assistance is estimated at between US$1.5 billion and US$2.0 billion. As the economy began to recover substantially from its malaise of the 1980s, the government's educationsector expenditure, as a share of GDP, increased from 1.4per cent in 1987 to 5.7 per cent in 2006, albeit remaining lower than the 6.4 per cent recorded in 1976. This study documents a mixed record of implementation and outcomes of the reforms, with some indicators showing highly uneven improvements over two decades. As regards primary enrolments, for example, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) increased from 76 in 1987 to 79 in 1991, but fell back again to 73 by 1997. By 2001, the ratio had recovered to 80 but then slid to 78 by the 2003/2004 academic year. Participation in basic education, which comprises both primary and junior secondary schooling, remained "free and compulsory" over the period. The introduction of capitation grants for schools in September 2005 reduced direct costs to households by replacing the various levies that schools imposed on parents for extra-curricular activities. This led to a 17 per cent increase in primary enrolments nationwide (with GER rising to 86) in 2005/6. This increase in school enrolments, while desirable in terms of moving the country towards meeting its objective of providing universal basic education for all Ghanaian children of school-going age, was followed, predictably, by a decline in education quality as the provision of additional teachers, facilities, and logistics lagged behind the capitation grant. A fresh set of educational reforms, scheduled to commence in September 2007, is intended to address these problems. Issues of funding adequacy, coordination and sustainability of donor financing for these reforms, however, remain largely unresolved-especially as donor disbursements in recent years have fallen short of commitments. 1 1 Associates for Change (AfC) is a research and consulting firm based in Ghana. AfC is the lead research organisation in Ghana working with the Research Consortium on Educational Outcomes and Poverty (RECOUP), a DFID supported research project.
Apprenticeship shop: Savelugu Apprenticeship shop: La Structure of Structure of presentation pres... more Apprenticeship shop: Savelugu Apprenticeship shop: La Structure of Structure of presentation presentation • • Policy relevant finding and conclusions Policy relevant finding and conclusions Research Question: Research Question: (How) Do the poor acquire and utilize (How) Do the poor acquire and utilize technical and vocational skills? technical and vocational skills? Total Total
Key research questions • What are the current and preferred aid modalities in the education secto... more Key research questions • What are the current and preferred aid modalities in the education sector? • Do the current and preferred aid modalities ensure that EFA goals will be achieved? • What are the key factors influencing the changes in aid architecture in Ghana's education sector? • Is the aid architecture efficient at ensuring the timely (and equitable) release of funds? • How do development partners measure their effectiveness in moving from programme to budgetary support ?
Key research questions • What are the current and preferred aid modalities in the education secto... more Key research questions • What are the current and preferred aid modalities in the education sector? • Do the current and preferred aid modalities ensure that EFA goals will be achieved? • What are the key factors influencing the changes in aid architecture in Ghana's education sector? • Is the aid architecture efficient at ensuring the timely (and equitable) release of funds? • How do development partners measure their effectiveness in moving from programme to budgetary support ?
Apprenticeship shop: Savelugu Apprenticeship shop: La Structure of Structure of presentation pres... more Apprenticeship shop: Savelugu Apprenticeship shop: La Structure of Structure of presentation presentation • • Policy relevant finding and conclusions Policy relevant finding and conclusions Research Question: Research Question: (How) Do the poor acquire and utilize (How) Do the poor acquire and utilize technical and vocational skills? technical and vocational skills? Total Total
Youth citizenship is now on the international agenda. This paper explores what that concept might... more Youth citizenship is now on the international agenda. This paper explores what that concept might mean in the context of two African nations: Kenya and Ghana. Post independence, both countries focused on rethinking the colonial concept of citizenship in line with their political-cultural traditions, providing education for all youth and to encouraging new notions of national citizenship. Programmes for civic education were established that have been reshaped over the last fifty years. These citizenship education programmes display the tension between different political goals of national unity, economic progress and the promotion of human rights, working with diversity, and encouraging collective responsibility and individual development. The aim is to use the education of the citizen to encourage civic engagement although there is evidence that these programmes might not, for a variety of reasons, engage all young people into the nation building project. The paper considers evidence from a wide range of documentary and social scientific sources to open debate about how to encourage young people's citizenship within the project of poverty alleviation.
Several African countries have abolished secondary school fees in recent years, but there is no s... more Several African countries have abolished secondary school fees in recent years, but there is no systematic evidence on the effectiveness of these initiatives. In this study, we take stock of free secondary education (FSE) initiatives in the region and review their impact on equitable access and the quality of teaching and learning, as well as their cost-effectiveness. We start by discussing the theoretical arguments for and against fee abolition. Second, we look at aggregate statistics on enrollment and transition rates, and find that primary school completion remains far from universal in most countries in the region, meaning that most low-income children are currently ineligible for free secondary education. Third, we provide a comprehensive overview of existing FSE policies in sub-Saharan Africa, showing that almost half of all countries in the region have abolished secondary school fees in the last two decades. Finally, we systemically review the empirical evidence on the impact...
Uploads
Papers by Leslie Casely-hayford