Stakeholder Involvement in Adult and Lifelong Learning in Ghana: Perspectives From Selected Regions

Abstract

The Complementary Education Agency Act of 2020 established the Complementary Education Agency (CEA) in Ghana. The CEA replaced what was previously known as the Non-Formal Education Unit in charge of adult and lifelong learning. Using the guiding framework that describes three ways of organising education, namely market-led, state-led, and social partner–led, this study examined how lifelong learning is planned for adults in three selected regions in Ghana. In addition, the study focused on the varied stakeholders providing resources to enable the provision of lifelong learning to participants. Resources made available by the state have been very minimal and are on the decline. This paper purposively selected three regions for this study. A total of 30 participants consisting of 10 interviewees from each selected region, associated with the Agency, were interviewed about their perspectives regarding varied ways that lifelong learning is organised. A pivotal outcome of the study showed that resources must be sourced from participants and external funding organisations to support their training. A salient challenge was inadequate staff and volunteers to provide literacy skills to participants among others. Ultimately, without the involvement of stakeholders, the Agency and their district offices will be severely constrained to offer impactful lifelong learning programmes.

Keywords

complementary education agency Ghana lifelong learning resources stakeholder involvement

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adams

A. V.

(2007). The role of youth skills development in the transition from school to work: A global review. World Bank. (HDNCY Discussion Paper No. 5).

Anjulo

Gebretsadik

Debara

(2017). Factors affecting the successful enrollment and participation of adult learners in Kindo Koysha Woreda of Wolaita Zone, SNNPRS. International Journal of African and Asian Studies, 27, 1–17.

Atteh

S. O.

(1996). The crisis in higher education in Africa. A Journal of Opinion, 24(1), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0047160700502157

Bennell

(1999). Learning to change: Skills development among the economically vulnerable and socially excluded in developing countries (Vol. 43). Geneva: ILO.

Boone

Camara

Eble

Elbourne

Fernandes

Frost

Jayanty

Lenin

Silva

A. F.

(2015). Remedial after-school support classes offered in rural Gambia (the SCORE trial): Study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial. Trials, 16(1), 574. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-1081-7

Braun

Clarke

(2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Carter

Hinton

Rose

Sabates

(2023). Exploring the role of evidence in the government’s adoption of Ghana’s complementary basic education programme. Development in Practice, 33(8), 960–974. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2023.2208772

Carter

Sabates

Rose

Akyeampong

(2020). Sustaining literacy from mother tongue instruction in complementary education into official language of instruction in government schools in Ghana. International Journal of Educational Development, 76(C), 102195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102195

Bryman

(2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.

10.

Carter

(2018). Overview of leadership in organisations. Journal of Marketing Research, 36(4), 364.

11.

Casely-Hayford

Hartwell

(2010). Reaching the underserved with complementary education: Lessons from Ghana’s state and non-state sectors. Development in Practice, 20(4-5), 527–539. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614521003763152

12.

Daly

Carter

Sabates

(2022). Silenced by a foreign language? Exploring language matching during transitions from complementary education to government schools in Ghana. Compare. A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 53(4), 585–602. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2021.1941772

13.

Ellis

(2022). Practical adult insight: What are remedial classes? https://www.practicaladultinsight.com/what-are-remedial-classes.htm

14.

Fox

M. L.

Gaal

M. S.

(2008). Working out of poverty. World Bank.

15.

Freeman

R. E.

(1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pittman.

16.

Gallea

(2013). A math e-learning course to improve pupils’ performances. In Handbook of research on didactic strategies and technologies for education: Incorporating advancements (pp. 763–771). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-2122-0.ch066

17.

Global Education Monitoring Report . (2016). Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all. UNESCO.

18.

Hanemann

Robinson

(2022). Rethinking literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the International Conference on Adult Education. International Review of Education, 68(2), 233–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09949-7

19.

Hossain

Hickey

(2019). The problem of education in developing countries. In Hossain

Hickey

(Eds.), The politics of education in developing countries: From schooling to learning. Oxford University Press.

20.

Kadingdi

(2004). Policy initiatives for change and innovation in basic education programmes in Ghana. Retrieved from. https://www.educatejournal.org/14/2

21.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) . (2007). Kenya national adult literacy survey report. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

22.

Machipi

(2023). Afterschool remedial education service to address low literacy and numeracy levels in the Tshwane South District (master’s dissertation). University of the Witwatersrand. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40458

23.

Mfum-Mensah

(2011). Education collaboration to promote school participation in northern Ghana: A case study of a complementary education programme. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(5), 465–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2010.05.006

24.

Moore

M. G.

(Ed.), (2013). Handbook of distance education. Routledge.

25.

Nudzor

H. P.

(2007). Exploring the policy implementation paradox: The case of the free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE) policy in Ghana (unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Strathclyde.

26.

Robbins

S. P.

(2016). Essentials of organisational behaviour (8th ed.). Prentice Hall.

27.

Rose

(2009). NGO provision of basic education: Alternative or complementary service delivery to support access to the excluded? Compare. A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 39(2), 219–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057920902750475

28.

Schuetze

H. G.

(2009). Financing lifelong learning. In The Routledge international handbook of lifelong learning (pp. 375–389). Routledge.

29.

Shinohara

(2021). Complementary basic education programmes for out-of-school children in Bangladesh, Ghana and Ethiopia: A comparative overview. In Agebaire

Agema

Kumari

(Eds.), Education and development (pp. 71–93). Sevhage Publishers.

30.

Sudhakar

(2018). Remedial classes enable the child to gain positive impact by filling cognitive gaps. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/remedialclasses-enables-child-gain-positive-impactfilling-sudhakar

31.

Thwe

W. P.

Kalman

(2024). Lifelong learning in the educational setting: A systematic literature review. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(2), 307–417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00738-w

32.

Tolbert

(2005). Staying the course: Factors influencing enrollment and persistence in adult education. U.S. Department of Education.

33.

Torres

R. C.

(2021). Addressing the learning gaps in the distance learning modalities. International Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(6), 76–79.

34.

UNESCO . (2006). EFA global monitoring report 2006: Literacy for life. UNESCO.

35.

World Bank . (2008) Ghana: job creation and skills development, (1). World Bank.

36.

World Bank . (2021). The World Bank annual report 2021: From crisis to green, resilient, and inclusive recovery. World Bank.