Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Kofi Asare, Executive Director at Africa Education Watch raised concerns about weak learning outcomes, revealing that a 2024 assessment of Form 2 students across 100 senior high schools showed that only 7% were proficient in English. He explained that while multiple stakeholders including government, PTAs (Parents and Teachers Associations), alumni groups, and the private sector were contributing to education, their efforts remained fragmented and poorly aligned.

He noted that Ghana’s education system was highly centralized, with government controlling teacher recruitment, curriculum, and financing. While this approach aimed to ensure equity, he said it had instead placed excessive pressure on public finances and limited efficiency. According to him, education financing stood at about GH?16 billion with government able to cover only about 67% of required funding.

Mr. Asare also highlighted inefficiencies in teacher distribution, stating that while some urban areas had a surplus of teachers, many rural schools were severely understaffed, with some schools being run by a single teacher.

In a separate interview, he described Ghana’s secondary education system as one of the most expensive in the world, largely due to the widespread boarding system under the Free SHS policy. He explained that although Ghana spent about 3.1% of GDP on education, this was below the recommended global benchmark of 4–6%.

He warned that nearly 45% of education funding was being absorbed by secondary education, leaving basic and tertiary education underfunded. He argued that this imbalance risked weakening foundational learning and limiting access to higher education.

He said that globally, countries with strong secondary education systems had about 40% of students enrolled in TVET programmes, compared to only 10% in Ghana.

During the panel discussion, participants echoed concerns about systemic challenges.

Mr. Asare noted that education reforms often focused on curriculum and textbooks while neglecting teacher development, adding that many teachers had not received refresher training for years.

Another panelist, Frank D. Amponsah-Mensah Esq. Principal/Head of School at the Ghana International School stated that teachers were not adequately resourced, compensated, or respected, which affected learning outcomes. He argued that society expected strong results from teachers without investing sufficiently in them.

An education consultant and former headmistress of  Achimota School, Dr Beatrice Tsotso Adom also stressed the importance of teacher training and decentralization, suggesting that schools should have a role in recruiting their own teachers. She added that structured, school-based teacher development programmes were more effective than large-scale centralized training.

The PTA Chair of Achimota School, Philip Dela Zumanu highlighted the importance of clear partnership frameworks, stating that misunderstandings between stakeholders often created conflict. He said PTAs and alumni groups played critical roles in supporting schools and should be actively involved in decision-making.

Speakers emphasized the need for better coordination among stakeholders, increased investment in basic education, stronger teacher development, and clearer partnership frameworks to improve outcomes.