CDD-Ghana, Eduwatch research reveals 40% of pupils in public schools do not have access to desks, seats

The findings of the latest report launched by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) have revealed that 40% of pupils in public schools do not have access to desks and seats.

This is contained in a report reviewing the Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan (ESMTDP) 2018-2021.

The report is a joint research project by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), with funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office-UK (FCDO).

“At present, 40 percent of pupils do not have access to desks and seats in public basic schools compared to 30% in 2016/17,” part of the report available online reads.

Unhappy about the lack of desks for pupils in schools, the Executive Director for Eduwatch, Kofi Asare has proposed that the government urgently makes the necessary investments to get rid of the challenge.

“The recommended target for seating and writing is that every pupil at the basic level must have a seat and a table within the dual desk system, denoted by a ratio of 1. By 2021, the Student to Seating Ratio (SSR) and Student to Desk Ratio (SDR) reduced from 0.7 in 2016/17 to 0.6, indicating an increase in the percentage of students without desks and seats by 10 percentage points,” he said while presenting findings of the research at an event held at CDD-Ghana head office on Thursday, June 9, 2022, to launch and disseminate the report.

Among other things, the CDD-Ghana and Eduwatch report on the review of the Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan 2018-2021 cites schools under trees as another major problem.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the launch of the report, Kofi Asante called on the government to ensure that the next ESMTDP prioritises solving that age-old education problem.

He said it is time major investments are made for quality teaching and learning in a conducive environment to be enjoyed not only in the endowed districts but in the most deprived districts and communities as well.

“For now we have to stand up, all hands on deck for education development in deprived communities especially the development of education infrastructure. Without conducive infrastructure quality teaching and learning cannot take place under a tree,” the Eduwatch Directors told journalists.

Click HERE to access the report of the Review of the Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan 2018-2021.