The Future of Education

Edition 14

Accepted Abstracts

Compulsory Basic Education (CBE) in Ghana: An Examination of CBE’s Impacts on Learning and the Challenges Faced by Students as they Transition into Formal School

Emma Carter, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

Ricardo Sabates, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

Pauline Rose, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

Abstract

The Compulsory Basic Education (CBE) programme has been a key initiative within Ghana for providing ‘second chance’ access to the most marginalised, out of school children. Since 2012, CBE has accessed over 200,000 children between the ages of 8 and 14 with the support of the UK and US governments. The widespread success of CBE has resulted in the Government of Ghana’s commitment to undertake full implementation of the programme following the 2017/2018 academic year.
As CBE shifts into its next stage of development and is reinforced as a core component of Ghana’s education system, it is crucial that issues identified from previous implementation cycles are made salient and applied. This paper presents findings from two major studies which have been conducted as part of a larger research agenda to estimate the impact of the CBE programme on learning outcomes and access to formal education. The first applies a value added modelling approach to determine learning outcomes of CBE students in the 2016/2017 academic year after 9 months of accelerated instruction. The second, focuses on the challenges faced by this same group of students in their transition to formal school in the 2017/2018 academic year. The research presented in this paper shows that CBE students significantly improve in their literacy and numeracy scores during the programme, results that indicate school readiness upon completion. In examining learning at the point of transition, however, it is evident that CBE students face a number of challenges which may impact their learning and motivation as they continue their education. These include issues with learning retention following CBE completion, the lack of opportunity to engage with literacy tasks during the transition phase and having to work alongside attending school. In addition, this research has suggested that limited English language experience, along with shifts into local languages that differ from those applied in CBE and/or students’ mothertongue may also prove problematic for learners as they continue into formal school. Whilst CBE is shown to be effective for developing the skills needed for reintegration into formal school, it is important that educators and key stakeholders address the issues raised in this report in order to maximise its benefits and ensure its sustainability.

Keywords: Education in sub-Saharan Africa, education of marginalised groups, accelerated learning;

 

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