Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Equitable Access to Quality Education for Marginalized Communities in Ghana

Isaac Buabeng^1, and Bridget Amo-Darko²

¹University of Cape Coast, Ghana

²University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Cite this paper:
Isaac Buabeng and Bridget Amo-Darko. Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Equitable Access to Quality Education for Marginalized Communities in Ghana. American Journal of Educational Research. 2024; 12(11):427-438. doi: 10.12691/education-12-11-3

Abstract

This review explores strategies to enhance equitable access to quality education for marginalized communities in Ghana, addressing the systemic challenges that undermine efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Despite significant initiatives by the government, NGOs, and the private sector, barriers such as socio-economic inequality, inadequate infrastructure, and gender disparities persist. The research examines the current educational landscape, highlighting gaps in funding, teacher capacity, and digital access. It underscores the need for targeted policy reforms, including needs-based funding allocation, continuous professional development for teachers, and the integration of digital technology in rural schools. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of community engagement, particularly in shifting socio-cultural norms that limit educational opportunities for girls. The study advocates for curriculum reforms to include vocational training and local languages, as well as the expansion of gender-responsive policies that support girls' education. Practical recommendations include the establishment of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and strengthening public-private partnerships to ensure sustained progress. By addressing these multi-faceted challenges, the study aims to contribute to the development of a more inclusive and equitable education system, ensuring that all children, regardless of background, have access to quality education and the opportunity to succeed.

Keywords:
Equitable access quality education marginalized communities sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4) policy reform gender disparities inclusive education

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Ghana Statistical Service. (2018). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2018. Government of Ghana.
[2]	Arkorful, V., Doe, F., & Addo, E. (2020). Barriers to equitable education in Ghana: A socio-cultural analysis. Journal of Educational Research in Africa, 12(3), 233–247.
[3]	Ministry of Education, Ghana. (2021). Education sector report 2021: Progress and challenges. Government of Ghana.
[4]	Bashir, S., Lockheed, M., Ninan, E., & Tan, J. P. (2018). Facing forward: Schooling for learning in Africa. The World Bank.
[5]	UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education. UNESCO Publishing.
[6]	Buchanan, J. (2019). Partnerships for equitable education: NGOs and their role in African education systems. Educational Policy Review, 6(2), 178–190.
[7]	Taylor, P., & Robinson, S. (2021). Technology as an equalizer: The role of ed tech in bridging learning gaps in Africa. Educational Technology Review, 10(1), 25–40.
[8]	Gewirtz, S. (2020). Social justice and education: Policies, practices and pedagogies. British Journal of Educational Studies, 68(2), 139–158.
[9]	Fraser, N. (2008). Scales of justice: Reimagining political space in a globalizing world. Columbia University Press.
[10]	Gewirtz, S., & Cribb, A. (2021). Understanding education: A sociological perspective. Polity Press.
[11]	Tanye, M. (2020). Gender disparity in education: The case of rural girls in northern Ghana. Journal of African Studies, 29(4), 327–345.
[12]	Unterhalter, E. (2017). Education and international development: Theory, practice and issues. Bloomsbury Publishing.
[13]	Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th anniversary ed.). Continuum.
[14]	Giroux, H. A. (2020). On critical pedagogy. Bloomsbury Academic.
[15]	Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. University of Chicago Press.
[16]	Darder, A., Mayo, P., & Paraskeva, J. (2017). The international critical pedagogy reader (2nd ed.). Routledge.
[17]	Andreotti, V. (2011). Actionable postcolonial theory in education. Palgrave Macmillan.
[18]	Becker, G. S. (1993). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (3rd ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
[19]	Schultz, T. W. (2002). Investing in people: The economics of population quality. The Edwin Mellen Press.
[20]	Psacharopoulos, G., & Patrinos, H. A. (2018). Returns to investment in education: A decennial review of the global literature. Education Economics, 26(5), 445–458.
[21]	Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
[22]	Robeyns, I. (2017). Wellbeing, freedom and social justice: The capability approach re-examined. Open Book Publishers.
[23]	Nussbaum, M. C. (2011). Creating capabilities: The human development approach. Harvard University Press.
[24]	Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
[25]	Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Doubleday.
[26]	UNICEF. (2019). State of the world’s children 2019: Children, food, and nutrition. UNICEF.
[27]	Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
[28]	Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40.
[29]	Saldaña, J. (2014). Thinking qualitatively: Methods of mind. SAGE Publications.
[30]	Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
[31]	Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2016). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 15(3), 398–405.
[32]	Flick, U. (2018). Triangulation in data collection. In U. Flick (Ed.), the SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection (pp. 527-544). London: SAGE Publications.
[33]	United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations Publishing.
[34]	OECD. (2019). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing.
[35]	World Bank. (2018). World development report: Learning to realize education’s promise. World Bank Publications.
[36]	UNICEF. (2020). State of the world’s children 2020: Children, food, and nutrition. UNICEF.
[37]	World Bank. (2019). Educational equity and access: Policy priorities for Ghana. World Bank Publications.
[38]	Anlimachie, M. A., & Avoada, A. (2020). Education in rural Ghana: Economic barriers and policy implications. International Journal of Educational Development, 73, 102–116.
[39]	Anlimachie, M. A., Avoada, C., & Amoako-Mensah, T. (2022). Leapfrogging inequality strategies for transformed rural education: A school district case, Ghana. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 32(1), 33–51.
[40]	Ayelazuno, J. A., & Aziabah, M. A. (2021). Gender inequality in education: Early marriages and cultural norms in northern Ghana. Gender and Development Review, 25(2), 147–160.
[41]	Tanye, M. (2008). Access and barriers to education for Ghanaian women and girls. Interchange, 39(2), 167–184.
[42]	Asamoah, Y., Nketiah, J., & Amankwah, K. (2022). Teenage pregnancy and school dropout: Examining the role of socio-cultural factors in rural Ghana. Journal of African Studies, 33(4), 112–125.d.
[43]	Takyi, S. A., Mensah, F., & Owusu, S. (2021). Bureaucratic inefficiencies and their impact on educational equity in Ghana: A review. Ghana Educational Review, 9(2), 89–104.
[44]	Sefa Dei, G. J. (2005). Social difference and the politics of schooling in Africa: A Ghanaian case study. Compare, 35(3), 227-245.
[45]	Amagnya, A. (2020). The impact of teacher quality on educational outcomes in rural Ghana. African Journal of Education, 12(3), 211–225.
[46]	Mantey, E. E. (2014). Accessibility to inclusive education for children with disabilities: A case of two selected areas in Ghana. (Master’s thesis, University of Ghana.
[47]	Tuwor, T., & Sossou, M. A. (2008). Gender discrimination and education in West Africa: Strategies for maintaining girls in school. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 12(4), 363-379.
[48]	Mfum-Mensah, O. (2005). The impact of colonial and postcolonial Ghanaian language policies on vernacular use in schools in two northern Ghanaian communities. Comparative Education, 41(1), 71-85.
[49]	Bisilki, A. K. (2018). The dilemmas of bilingual education in rural Ghana: A case study of the Nkwanta North District. Legon Journal of the Humanities, 29(2), 146-175.
[50]	Adamba, C. (2023). Assessing the impact of free SHS policy on educational equity in Ghana. Journal of Educational Policy and Management, 15(1), 45–58.
[51]	Darkwa, K., & Acquah, F. (2022). Government initiatives in education: Evaluating the impact of school feeding and capitation grants in rural Ghana. Ghana Education Review, 9(4), 102–115.
[52]	Williams, J. (2024). Educational reforms in Ghana: An analysis of free uniforms and school supply programs. Journal of African Educational Studies, 20(2), 75–89.
[53]	Kadingdi, S. (2006). Policy initiatives for change and innovation in basic education programmes in Ghana. The Journal of Doctoral Research in Education, 4(2), 1-18.
[54]	Strutt, C., & Kepe, T. (2010). Implementing education for all – whose agenda, whose change? The case study of the Ghana national education campaign coalition. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(4), 369-376.
[55]	Inkoom, A. (2012). Implementation of initiatives to reform the quality of education in rural Ghanaian junior high schools. Retrieved from https:// ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/485.
[56]	Win, P. P., & Siriwato, N. (2020). Non-governmental organizations and their impact on girls' education in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Development Studies, 36(4), 233–248.
[57]	UNICEF. (2018). Education in Ghana: A focus on equity and inclusion. UNICEF Report.
[58]	Cudjoe, A. (2024). The role of NGOs in teacher training and educational reform in Ghana. Ghana Education Journal, 11(1), 89–102.
[59]	Adu-Baffoe, E., & Bonney, S. (2021). The role of non-governmental organizations in basic education delivery in Ghana: Implications for theory, policy, and practice. International Education Studies, 14(4), 35-47.
[60]	Tetteh, R. (2018). The role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in poverty alleviation and education, a case study in Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality (Doctoral dissertation, University of Education, Winneba).
[61]	Issah, H. (2012). The role of Non-Governmental Organizations in girl-child education in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region of Ghana (Master’s thesis, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology).
[62]	Varkey Foundation. (2023). The power of technology in rural education: MGCubed. Varkey Foundation Impact Report.
[63]	CARE International. (2021). Empowering girls through education: CARE’s approach in Ghana. CARE International Report. https:// care.org/Ghana.
[64]	SEND Ghana. (2022). Community engagement and educational access in northern Ghana. SEND Ghana Report.
[65]	Right to Play. (2021). Empowering children through play: Annual report on education programs in Ghana. Right to Play International.
[66]	Okine, S. (2021). Non-Governmental Organisations' Impact on Educational Policy in Rural Ghana (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
[67]	Samsung Ghana. (2021). Samsung Smart School for Africa Initiative. Samsung Annual Report.
[68]	Mastercard Foundation. (2022). Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program. Mastercard Foundation Report.
[69]	MTN Ghana Foundation. (2020). MTN Bright Scholarship: Empowering the next generation of leaders through education. MTN Foundation Impact Report.
[70]	Azina-Nartey, N. (2018). Beneficiary response to corporate social responsibility (CSR): A case study of MTN Ghana foundation (Master’s thesis, University of Ghana).
[71]	Vivo Energy. (2021). STEM for All Initiative: Improving educational infrastructure in rural schools. Vivo Energy Annual Report.
[72]	Teach for Ghana. (2022). Teaching for equity: Addressing teacher shortages in underserved regions. Teach for Ghana Annual Review.
[73]	AirtelTigo. (2020). AirtelTigo mobile learning: Enhancing access to education through technology. AirtelTigo Annual Report.