The educational reform which begun the early 1990s is gradually seeing the light of the day since its implementation.
The Ghana education curriculum has three components; basic, second cycle and higher level with each having some kind of challenges.
Due to lack of facilities, poor patronizing by some children most especially girls, inadequate trained teachers and theory based teaching and learning, attention has been given to the basic level by both the government of Ghana, donor countries and other Non-governmental agencies.
Over the years, female advocates and other international bodies have been fighting for the involvement of the girl- child in formal education, most crucially at the basic level.
This seems to be yielding positive results since there has been an increase in the rate of girls participating in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E), which is supervised by the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C) over the period.
Records indicate that 208,306 out of 438,030 representing 47.54% of girls sat for the 2015 B.E.C.E, while 221,050 out of 461,013 representing 47.94% in 2016.
226,905 out of 468,053 representing 48.47% in 2017 and, 246,529 out of 509,824 candidates representing 48.35% of girls took part in the last years B.E.C.E, reviewing 2015 to 2018.
192.39% of females have been participating in the B.E.C.E. for the years under review as compared to 207.60% of males’ involvement during the same period.
The ongoing 2019 B.E.C.E has the highest record of 253, 716 females representing 49.04% who sat for the just ended BECE as compared to 48.42% in 2018.
This shows an increase of 1.0% female participation in this year’s B.E.C.E.
It therefore indicates an increased rate of 17.22% over the five years under review.
More could still be done by parents, teachers, government and non-governmental bodies to promote girl-child education in Ghana.
source: Justin Savio Wellu