CBE Alliance and NNED Statement

Memorandum of issues and recommendations in the Basic Education and secondary education sub-sectors submitted to the Ministry of Education through the Education Consultative Committee Introduction Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full realisation of that right”. In keeping with the constitutional provision, Ghana has been implementing the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy since 1995, to ensure that all citizens of basic school-going age enroll and complete basic school with relevant learning outcomes without resource constraints. After thirty years of implementation of the FCUBE policy, Ghana has made significant strides in improving access to quality basic education. Yet, enormous deficits remain in the delivery of basic and secondary education. The Erstwhile Government has been implementing the Free Senior High Policy to increase access to Secondary Education. Whilst the Free Senior High School Policy has been commended, its implementation has been met with challenges that require critical review to ensure quality and equitable provision of secondary education for all children. The Government’s decision to hold a national consultative forum on education to cultivate a broader perspective and national consensus in shaping the education agenda of the country is highly commendable. The Complementary Basic Education (CBE) Alliance and Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) The Complementary Education Alliance is a body made up of CSOs with interest in eradicating the Out of School Children (OOSC) and the promotion of equitable provision of basic education. The Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) on the other hand consists of over 50 CSOs in Northern Ghana working to expand access to quality basic education for children. Both the CBE Alliance and NNED based on wide consultation with our members and drawing on our many years of experience working in the basic education and secondary education sub-sectors present our views and recommendations to the National Education Forum Planning Committee as follows: 1. High number of Out-of-School children According to the 2021 National Population and Housing Census of the Ghana Statistical Service, 1,215,546 children aged 4-17 are out of school. This represents a staggering 10 percent of that age cohort. Most of these children are found in marginalized and hard-toreach parts of the country where education service delivery is challenged due to poverty of the people, inadequate educational infrastructure, teachers, and teaching and learning resources. The Ghana Education Outcomes (GEOP) Project, a component of the 1