The impact of the capitation grant policy on primary school education in Ghana: a case study in the Ashanti Region
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Date
2008-10-21
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Abstract
Many children in Ghana do not attend school because their parents simply cannot afford to pay levies charged by the schools. Despite the policy of fee-free tuition in bas schools, many districts In the Ashanti Region of Ghana charged levies as a means ( raising funds, for example for school repairs, printing cultural and sporting activities this has the effect of deterring many families particularly the poor from sending the children to school. The survey analyzed the capitation grant and how it has affected enrollment rates of primary schools in the selected districts in the Ashanti region c Ghana.
Focus group discussions, participant observation, questionnaires and in-depth interviews were among the methods employed for data collection from a sample of five hundred respondents (500) randomly selected from selected districts in the Ashanti region, for thorough analysis of the relationship between capitation grant and primary sc enrollment in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Relevant data obtained were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Generally, the capitation grant was found to have very little significant influence o primary school enrollment in the selected districts in the region. The grants in the school among the selected districts were to remove the financial barrier created by the levies charged by the schools, but irrespective of the grant it was realized that pupils were still paying levies. These levies negatively influenced their enrollment levels, because it has the effect of deterring many families particularly the poorest from sending their children to school, thereby affecting the enrollment rates of primary schools in the selected districts in the region. Also the enrollment increase was not marked by a corresponding increase in teacher population, and therefore the quality of education was greatly affected.
It was concluded that any strategy or recommendation aimed at tackling capitation grant and primary school enrollment in the selected districts in the region need to focus on abolishing all primary school tuition fees and levies as part of renewed attempts to resurrect our educational system which has been in decline, and suffering reduced enrollments after the initial growth following independence.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Economics in partial fulfillment for the award of Master of Arts, 2008