The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has called for stronger tracking of education funds for girls and children with disabilities. This urgent appeal follows District Accountability Dialogues (DAD) in the Ahafo Region, revealing a significant decline in localized funding for inclusive education.
These dialogues, held in Asutifi South District and Tano South Municipality, highlighted persistent structural disparities in education. Marginalized groups, particularly girls and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), face major hurdles in accessing quality education. The GNECC initiative aims to ensure transparent and equitable financing for these vulnerable populations.
Ghana has made notable strides in school enrollment and gender parity at the basic level. However, significant gaps remain between urban centers and rural, hard-to-reach communities. The decline in localized funding further worsens these existing learning disparities, impacting the nation's overall educational progress and economic potential.
Ibrahim Yusif, the Ahafo Regional Coordinator for GNECC, emphasized the critical situation. He stated, "Access remains a major hurdle for marginalized groups, particularly girls and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in deprived communities." Mr. Yusif stressed that these dialogues are a timely intervention to ensure proper tracking and utilization of statutory funds.
The implications of inadequate funding tracking are far-reaching. Without proper oversight, funds like the District Assembly Common Fund and District Assembly Disability Fund may not reach their intended beneficiaries. This directly affects the provision of specialized learning materials, accessible facilities, and trained inclusive-education teachers. Decision-makers must prioritize robust mechanisms for fund disbursement and accountability to address these challenges.
The GNECC dialogues, funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through its Education Out Loud project, create platforms for local stakeholders. These include traditional leaders, parents, students, civil society organizations, and officials from Municipal and District Assemblies. Their collective efforts are crucial for inspecting and advocating for transparent education financing.
Global data underscores the severity of the issue. UNICEF reports an estimated 119 million girls are out of school worldwide. This figure includes 34 million of primary school age and 86 million of secondary school age. While 49 percent of countries achieve gender parity in primary education, this drops to 24 percent at the upper-secondary level. Deprived and rural areas experience the steepest drop-offs.
Children with disabilities also remain among the most excluded populations in education systems globally. They disproportionately remain out of school or are placed in under-resourced environments. In low- and middle-income nations, approximately two-thirds of 10-year-olds suffer from learning poverty, meaning they cannot read and understand a simple text. This rate is significantly higher for children with SEND.
UNESCO reports highlight a widening global SDG 4 financing gap. Underfunded public education systems hit vulnerable groups the hardest. Even when national budgets allocate funds for disability or gender initiatives, local-level disbursement often lags or gets diverted. This lack of strict grassroots tracking mechanisms makes GNECC's community-driven audits essential.
The coalition remains committed to serving as the civil society mouthpiece for pre-tertiary education in Ghana. It aims to ensure that duty-bearers remain accountable to the communities they serve. This initiative advances several United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).
The collaboration between GNECC, GPE, local government bodies, and disability organizations exemplifies SDG 17. This goal encourages effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships. Such partnerships are vital for achieving inclusive education and ensuring no child is left behind due to financial or structural barriers.