Complementary basic education

Casely-Hayford, Leslie; Ghartey, Adom Baisie; Agyei-Quartey, Justice

doi:10.4324/9780429293467-12

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the final year of SHS, students sit the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which provides access to tertiary education. The Ghanaian education system is affected by a number of challenges, including high levels of dropout and attrition at all levels, high repetition, gender inequality, and high levels of overage enrolment (Casely-Hayford et al, 2021). In addition to low and inequitable enrolment, Ghana's secondary education system has long struggled with low achievement.…”

Section: The Ghanaian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Casely-Hayford,

Gruijters,

Adjei

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy, which was introduced in 2017, is the most prominent and comprehensive free secondary education policy in the region. We conducted an in-depth qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives—students, parents, and school leaders—focusing on their perspectives on and experiences with the policy. The findings show that stakeholders generally appreciated the improvement in access, especially for low-income students and those from remote rural areas. However, they also indicated that the policy led to an inflow of unprepared students and exacerbated preexisting challenges related to scarce school resources and quality. Moreover, stakeholders believed that free secondary education reduced student motivation and increased the demand for boarding instead of day schooling. Based on these findings, we discuss options for improving the implementation of free secondary education policies and the Free SHS policy in particular.

show abstract

Section: The Ghanaian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Casely-Hayford,

Gruijters,

Adjei

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A range of studies show that learning outcomes are similarly low in other parts of the continent, mainly because of inadequate pedagogical approaches, insufficient school resources, and low time-on-task (e.g. Casely-Hayford, Gharthey, and Agyei-Quartey 2021;Nestour, Moscoviz, and Sandefur 2020;Angrist et al 2021). Students who are unable to follow the curriculum will derive fewer benefits from FSE initiatives and are unlikely to pass the high school leaving exam, if applicable.…”

Section: Access To Secondary Education In Sub-saharan Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary School Fee Abolition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Taking Stock of the Evidence

Gruijters¹,

Abango²,

Casely-Hayford³

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several African countries have abolished secondary school fees in recent years, but there is no systematic evidence on the effectiveness of these initiatives. In this study, we take stock of free secondary education (FSE) initiatives in the region and review their impact on equitable access and the quality of teaching and learning, as well as their cost-effectiveness. We start by discussing the theoretical arguments for and against fee abolition. Second, we look at aggregate statistics on enrollment and transition rates, and find that primary school completion remains far from universal in most countries in the region, meaning that most low-income children are currently ineligible for free secondary education. Third, we provide a comprehensive overview of existing FSE policies in sub-Saharan Africa, showing that almost half of all countries in the region have abolished secondary school fees in the last two decades. Finally, we systemically review the empirical evidence on the impact and effectiveness of recent FSE initiatives. We conclude that free secondary education is an appropriate long-term goal for education systems but can be costly and inequitable in the short run, especially if it diverts resources from primary education. Our review suggests four concrete recommendations for policymakers, which are broadly aligned with the principle of ‘progressive universalism’ in improving access to education.

show abstract

“…The CBE policy aims to identify male and female out-of-school children and create the motivation and community support needed for these children to enter or reenter primary school and complete their basic education. Despite its initial successes, Casely-Hayford ( 2017 ) found that the implementation of the CBE policy had difficulty identifying the most marginalized girls and supporting them to enter and be successful in primary school. STAGE identified these girls, aged 10 to 14 years, and provided them with pedagogical, socio-cultural, and health support.…”

Section: Culturementioning

confidence: 99%

A case study of support for girls’ access to primary school in Ghana

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Strategic Approach to Girls’ Education (STAGE) project developed and implemented an intervention that helped marginalized out-of-school girls in the northern regions of Ghana enter and be successful in primary school. STAGE builds on the Government of Ghana’s Complementary Basic Education policy, which supports an accelerated learning program that provides literacy and numeracy classes in mother tongue to out-of-school girls between 8 and 14 years of age. This article reviews the literature that informed the design of STAGE, describes the intervention, reports on the impact on its participants, and suggests a model for replicating this intervention in Ghana and adapting it for implementation in other countries.

show abstract

Complementary basic education

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

The Intended and Unintended Effects of Secondary School Fee Abolition: Evidence from Ghana’s Free Senior High School Policy

Secondary School Fee Abolition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Taking Stock of the Evidence

A case study of support for girls’ access to primary school in Ghana

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About