An Open Letter to the President-Elect: Advocating for not Less than 30% Allocation of the 2025 Budget to Education
Your Excellency, President-Elect John Dramani Mahama,
As you prepare to assume leadership in our cherished nation, I reach out as a concerned Ghanaian who firmly believes in the transformative impact of education. The future of our country depends largely on the quality of education we establish today. Consequently, I respectfully request that you make education a priority by dedicating at least 30% of the 2025 national budget to this vital sector.
Your Excellency, there is no denying the fact that education is fundamental to national development. It provides citizens with the skills and knowledge necessary for driving economic growth, alleviating inequality, and reinforcing democracy. However, our education system faces multiple challenges that hinder its potential for transformation.
I would like to highlight crucial areas that need immediate attention and funding: Allow me to outline key areas requiring urgent attention and funding:
- Teacher Motivation and Retention
His Excellency, President-Elect, our teachers are the foundation of the education system. Regrettably, many are demoralized due to poor working conditions, insufficient pay, lack of teacher accommodation and limited opportunities for teacher advancement. These factors have caused some of our best educators to leave the profession. His Excellency, funding should be allocated to enhance teacher welfare. This means providing competitive salaries, affordable housing schemes and implementing robust professional development programs for teachers. Additionally, the current teacher promotion system should shift from exams to evaluations based on work performance and portfolio assessments, this would ensure that promotions are merit-based and reflect actual contributions. A motivated and well-supported teaching force would provide our children with the quality education they deserve.
- Completion of Abandoned Educational Facilities
His Excellency, President-Elect, the numerous unfinished school projects scattered nationwide highlight wasted resources. Many essential facilities like classrooms, dormitories, and laboratories remain incomplete, forcing students into overcrowded or unsafe learning environments. Investing resources to finalize these projects would immediately enhance access, improve safety, and upgrade the educational experience for countless students. The funds already spent on these facilities would only yield full benefits once the projects are completed.
- Tackling the Furniture Deficiency in Schools
His Excellency, the shortage of proper furniture in our schools is a national shame. In some public schools, students are forced to sit on the floor for their lessons, while in certain Senior High Schools (SHSs), many have to stand throughout the day because of the lack of desks and chairs. This situation is intolerable. A prompt commitment to a nationwide furniture program is essential. Every classroom needs sufficient desks and chairs. This is not a luxury; it is a fundamental requirement for fair education.
- Provision of Beds for Senior High Schools
His Excellency, President-Elect, it is troubling that in some SHSs, students benefiting from our Free SHS program have to sleep on bare floors due to a shortage of beds. This alarming condition adversely impacts both their health and academic performance. We must allocate adequate funds to supply more beds in our boarding schools. It is a matter of respect and humanity. No student should have to sleep on the floor in their pursuit of education. We must take action to rectify this situation.
- Providing Free Exercise Books in Public Basic Schools
His Excellency, many families find it challenging to afford basic educational supplies. Offering free exercise books to students in public basic schools would ease this financial strain and ensure that every child has the necessary resources to engage in their education. Education should not be a privilege for a select few; it is a right that should be available to everyone.
- Eliminating the Double track System Under the (FSHS) Program
His Excellency, President-Elect, the double track system employed in some SHSs compromises students’ full instructional time and causes unnecessary interruptions. To resolve this issue, we need to build additional classrooms and dormitories in overcrowded schools. This action would restore full instructional time, enhance educational outcomes, and provide every student with an equal chance to succeed.
- Simplifying the Overloaded SHS Prospectus
His Excellency, irrespective of the harmonization of the prospectus for SHS entrants, it still creates a heavy financial burden for parents and guardians. Many cannot afford the long list of items required. This leads to disparities in access to secondary education. Are you aware that a lot of students could not report for the first term due to their inability to purchase items on their prospectus? We need to revise the prospectus to ease these requirements and ensure that schools have the resources to supply some of these necessary items. This effort, backed by sufficient funding, would make the admission process for the FSHS program fairer and less challenging.
- Providing Textbooks to Junior High Schools
His Excellency, President-Elect, the lack or limited textbooks in some Junior High and Senior High Schools significantly hampers the quality of education. Students cannot succeed without the essential learning tools they need. The 2025 budget should prioritize completing the textbook supply for Junior High and Senior High Schools. This would help close the resource gap between rural and urban schools and guarantee that all students have equal access to learning materials.
- Empowering PTAs and SMCs
Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMCs) play vital roles in school management. However, their potential is limited by excessive centralization. Empowering these organizations with autonomy, along with sufficient funding and capacity-building programs, would improve accountability, foster innovation, and enhance efficiency in school management.
- Promoting Public Schools
His Excellency, public schools often suffer from negative stereotypes compared to private institutions. This demoralizes students, teachers, and parents. Initiating a nationwide branding campaign for public schools, providing them with distinct identities, logos, and mottos, would instil a sense of pride and competitiveness. Proper funding is crucial to ensure this initiative enhances the reputation and culture of public education.
Why Allocate not Less than 30% of the Budget?
His Excellency, President-Elect, education is the cornerstone of national development. Investing not less than 30% of the budget in education is not merely an expense-it is an investment in our future. Countries that prioritize education have experienced significant GDP growth and decreased unemployment. The cost of inaction far outweighs the necessary investment. Without substantial funding, we risk perpetuating cycles of poverty, inequality, and stagnation.
Conclusion
His Excellency, President-Elect, this is our opportunity to make a meaningful impact. By committing not less than 30% of the 2025 budget to education, we send a clear message about our national priorities. Let us transcend party lines and come together to reform Ghana’s educational system. The future of our children, communities, and nation is shaped by the choices we make today. Let us choose progress.
Thank you, and may God bless our efforts to advance education in Ghana.
BY: WISDOM KOUDJO KLU,
EDUCATIONIST/COLUMNIST,
GREATER ACCRA REGION.
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