Education inequality in Ghana: gender and spatial dimensions

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature and extent of gender and spatial inequalities in educational attainment in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach-The paper uses the education Gini coefficient, computed on the basis of years of schooling of individuals, to assess education inequality in Ghana. Findings-The paper finds evidence of gender and spatial inequality in education in Ghana. In particular, the three northern regions have lower education attainment as well as higher education Gini coefficients compared to the rest of the country. The paper finds evidence of intra-gender and intra-spatial inequalities in education attainment in Ghana, with females contributing proportionately more to the within-inequality component of the education Gini. The paper also finds a positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality. Research limitations/implications-The research finds a positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality but requires an econometric analysis to make inferences regarding causality. Practical implications-The findings call for the design and implementation of policies not only to address between-gender and spatial inequities in education in Ghana, but also to tackle within-gender and within-spatial inequalities. The positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality implies the need to create greater equity in educational opportunities across the country. Social implications-The need for changes in attitudes, values and cultural practices that put girls at a disadvantage when it comes to education. Originality/value-One important and new finding of the paper is the existence of intra-gender and intra-spatial inequalities in education attainment in Ghana, with females contributing proportionately more to the within-inequality component of the education Gini.

Prevalence and determinants of diabetes among older adults in Ghana

“…It was high among those with university and college education compared to those in other levels of education, both in the general population and among males. There exist inequalities in education favouring males over females in Ghana [31] which, was also noted in our study where males had significantly higher level of education compared with females. High education has also been linked to the increasing adoption of new sedentary lifestyles, changes in dietary intake and less engagement in physical activity due to the nature of job and pressure at work thus increasing their cumulative health risk [32–35].…”

Factors contributing to spatial inequality in academic achievement in Ghana: Analysis of district-level factors using geographically weighted regression

“…Although academic achievement is generally low in Ghana, the problem appears to be more acute in some geographical areas, especially rural, disadvantaged areas (Senadza, 2012). The expectation that universal access to education will provide a viable path out of poverty may not be realized if geographical disparities exist in either the quality of education available to students or how well students perform academically.…”

“…The goal of this study is twofold: (a) to examine the spatial dimension of current academic achievement at the basic education level, and (b) to contribute to the knowledge-base from the macro and contextual lens by using district-level data to enrich the understanding of district level predictors of spatial disparities in academic achievement in Ghana. Although prior studies, particularly in the fields of geography and political economy, have highlighted spatial inequality in Ghana (Annim, Mariwah, & Sebu, 2012;Senadza, 2012;Songsore, 2003), there are knowledge gaps in the empirical literature. Thus far, extant studies have stopped short of providing empirical insights into the macro factors that predictor academic achievement and whether their predictive power is spatially non-stationary.…”

Software piracy, inequality and the poor: evidence from Africa

“…A value of zero expresses perfect equality while a coefficient of one represents maximal inequality. As recently documented (Senadza, 2012;De Silva, 2013), the GINI coefficient which is commonly used as a measure of inequality in income or wealth has found application in diverse disciplines investigating inequality:…”