Building on Ghana’s achievements in expanding education, the Education Strategic Plan (2018-2030) which provides the blueprint for delivering education in the country sets out the vision and policies for realizing the ambition of transforming Ghana into a ‘learning nation’. The ESP (2018–2030) is the third in a series of strategic plans that have been produced since 2000 (ESP 2003–15; ESP 2010–20; and now 2018–30) and follows from the ESP 2010–2020. It recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and prescribes strategies to address the challenges in order to give every Ghanaian child the opportunity to succeed and contribute to national development.

The Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan (ESMTDP, 2018-2021) which sets out how to operationalize the ESP in the medium term proposes several policy initiatives within the four-year period to address system-wide challenges facing the education sector such as relatively high drop-out rates, high numbers of untrained teachers, particularly at kindergarten and primary level, high teacher absenteeism and low time on task, weak accountability structures, poor school leadership and management, and low learning outcomes, among others (Education Sector Analysis, 2018)

Drawing on analysis of the EMIS data, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews at the district and community level, CDD-Ghana will assess the outcome of the government policies and programs implemented within the four-year period in the education under the ESMTDP/ESP. The assessment will provide useful qualitative information and evidence to complement the EMIS data and enhance policy-making and government interventions in the education sector. The findings from the study will also be used to engage government and stakeholders in the education sector on the 2022 – 2025 Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan and most importantly, demand greater accountability on the 2018-2021 medium-term intervention outcomes.

The project seeks to achieve the following objectives;

1. Identification of operational challenges in the implementation of interventions at the basic level and recommending solutions to them
2. Promotion of access to diverse information among policymakers and stakeholders
3. Enhancing the capacity of the media, civil society, and citizens to appreciate educational outcomes to demand accountability