Africa Education Watch, an education think tank, has called for innovative approaches to help local assemblies secure funding for educational infrastructure projects in their areas.
The group argues that government’s decision to cap earmarked funds for educational infrastructure is likely to remain unchanged so alternative methods must be explored.
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare believes that implementing these changes will improve the quality of education for underprivileged individuals in these areas.
“Bear in mind that the GETFUND and other funds that support the development of our education infrastructure have been capped. In view of this, it is relevant for local government stakeholders, education stakeholders, and the entire citizenry to live up to the mandate of providing basic schools so that the poor, urban, and rural persons will be able to access basic education.
“Let’s not forget that according to the Ghana Statistical Service, 1.4 million children are not in school in Ghana. The only way we can ensure that these children between the ages of 4 and 17 have an opportunity to enjoy an education is for digital assemblies to expand their capacity to build more school infrastructure. Mr. Asare said.
This call follows a research study by the think tank, which brought to light significant deficiencies in basic school infrastructure within specific municipalities, primarily stemming from inadequate educational financing.
The study focused on two municipalities, namely the Tema and Adenta Metropolitan Assemblies.
The research findings revealed that only 10 percent of Internally Generated Funds at the local level is allocated to education.
The presentation of the study which witnessed the presence of stakeholders from the Ghana Revenue Authority, Local Government Service, and ActionAid Ghana among others, revealed the deficiency in civil society engagement in education accountability and decision-making processes at the metropolitan, municipal, and district levels, mainly due to the absence of performance review platforms.
Among its recommendations, the think tank advocated for stricter penalties for tax defaulters, enhanced transparency in public spending, and the strengthening of citizens’ participation in policy and revenue dialogue platforms.
