Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ Beneath the shadow of Ghana‘s expanding cities and the quiet of rural communities, a deepening education crisis is unfolding, resulting in thousands of children learning under unimaginable conditions. Across the country, over 5,400 basic schools lack proper buildings, where young pupils learn under trees, in crumbling buildings, or under tarpaulin shades. To these children, a classroom is simply an outdoor space exposed to the elements, typically without desks, texts, and trained teachers to teach them. While the rest of the world rapidly progresses towards a future dominated by man-made intelligence and innovation, Ghana’s children find themselves at the beginning of this journey.
In the recent launch of the Go Public Fund Education on May 13, 2025, CAPCOE Convener Richard Kwashie Kovey passionately called for action, stating that it is no longer an issue of fairness but one of justice that, as of now in Ghana, children still study in these types of settings. Ghana Statistical Service figures paint a grim picture: 1.2 million children aged 4 to 17 have never set foot in school, and some 147,000 drop out annually. Many of them are not pushed out by poor grades, but by the simple reality that there is no nearby school with open, ready facilities.
Despite these urgent needs, Ghana’s 2023 budget for education showed a disturbing trend: only 20% went for basic education versus 39.2% in 2019. Tertiary education, on the other hand, went for 30.5% and nearly 39% for administrative overheads. This waste, EDUWATCH Executive Director Kofi Asare maintains, widens the already deep divide between children who get quality learning and those who do not. CAPCOE estimates that with a well-spent budget for 2021-2024, particularly from the GETFund, the schools-under-trees crisis could have been ended by now. The recent GH¢800 million by Parliament for basic education in 2024 and the uncapping of GETFund inject new hope. Hope is not sufficient, though brutish, single-minded action is what is required.
For children such as Anaane, a 10-year-old from the Upper East Region who walks long distances to attend school under the shade of a tree, such a desire to be a nurse remains a distant dream. Her situation is a representation of the reality for thousands. Ghana must act now, not tomorrow, to secure its future by protecting the right of all children to quality education.
