Ghana’s IMF programme, severe expenditure cuts threaten basic education in Ghana -Africa Education Watch

Africa Education Watch, an education think-tank, in its new year message has indicated, that Ghana’s 3-year IMF programme will lead to severe expenditure cuts which will derail basic education development in Ghana.

Per the assessments made by EduWatch, the IMF programme coupled with government expenditure choices and basic education funding challenges that continue to confront education will lead to low education financing which will further slow down the attainment of targets for education, especially at the basic school level.

Below is the full message from the Africa Education Watch

EDUWATCH NEW YEAR MESSAGE – GHANA

2023 is the beginning of a 3-year IMF programme occasioned by severe expenditure cuts that threaten to derail the attainment & sustenance of key equitable access, transition, & completion targets in the educ sector, especially at the basic level.

In such difficult periods of resource deficits, spending efficiency and inclusive governance are strategies that must be accorded utmost priority by the Ministry of Education.

The immediate manifestation of the IMF expenditure cuts is seen in a record (12.9%) lowest proportion of the national budget allocation to education, the first in about two decades, far below the 15% minimum international benchmark for education financing.

The already underfunded basic educ budget for Goods & Services, from where Teaching & Learning Resources are financed has been further cut by 40%. This, coupled with a freeze on teacher recruitment will leave thousands of classrooms without trained teachers, especially in deprived areas.

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In such difficult periods of resource deficits, spending efficiency and inclusive governance are strategies that must be accorded utmost priority by the Ministry of Education.

To optimize spending efficiency, the Ministry of Education must normalize competitive procurement, strengthen value for money, prioritize pro-poor spending through targeting of social interventions, and redistribute surplus teachers to schools with teacher deficits.

To improve inclusive resource governance & augment the resource gap, the Ministry of Education must adopt an equitable framework for formalizing already existing opportunities for parental contribution to financing basic and secondary education.

Both approaches cannot be effective without a demonstrable political will hinged on transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance.