Northern Education Forum Calls for Stronger Accountability as Stakeholders Tackle Learning Crisis in Tamale

Stakeholders in Ghana’s Northern Region have called for stronger accountability, community participation and coordinated action to improve education outcomes, following concerns over declining learning performance and gaps in the delivery of essential education services.

The call was made at a Regional Education Forum organised by ActionAid Ghana (AAG) in Tamale, which brought together education authorities, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, PTAs, SMCs and other education stakeholders.

The forum, held under the theme “Quality Education as a Shared Responsibility,” examined evidence on the state of education and explored practical measures to improve learning, retention, inclusion and accountability.

Learning outcomes remain a concern

The discussions came amid concerns over Ghana’s learning outcomes. Data from the 2025 WASSCE showed that only 48.73% of candidates achieved A1–C6 in Core Mathematics, down from 66.86% in 2024. Similar declines were recorded in other core subjects.

For ActionAid Ghana, the figures reinforce the need to look beyond enrolment and focus on whether children are learning, completing school, transitioning successfully and learning in safe and inclusive environments.

Globally, the World Bank estimates that about 70% of children in low- and middle-income countries experience learning poverty, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing education systems.

ActionAid Ghana has worked with communities and partners for more than 36 years to advance the right to quality and inclusive education. From 2013 to date, the organisation and its partners have constructed and handed over 13 education facilities in Bimbilla and Nanumba—eight girls-friendly basic schools and five early childhood schools.

Minister raises concerns over school feeding

A major issue raised at the forum was the implementation of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in the Northern Region.

The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, expressed concern over reports that some caterers were allegedly providing meals for only two or three days instead of the five days for which they were contracted and paid.

He also raised concerns about alleged inflation of beneficiary enrolment figures beyond the numbers captured in school registers.

The Minister directed the Northern Regional Ghana Education Service (GES) to investigate the concerns and submit a report within one week. He also called on ActionAid Ghana to support the investigation.

According to the Minister, such weaknesses could undermine government’s efforts to expand the school feeding programme to other deprived schools, potentially denying vulnerable children the support they need.

The concerns have heightened calls for stronger verification, monitoring and community oversight to ensure that resources allocated to children reach their intended beneficiaries.

Stakeholders commit to action

The forum resulted in several commitments aimed at strengthening education governance in the region.

District-level stakeholders pledged to work collaboratively to build the capacity of District Education Oversight Committees (DEOCs), PTAs and SMCs to strengthen monitoring and improve education outcomes.

At the regional level, stakeholders committed to improving coordination among districts and strengthening their monitoring and oversight responsibilities.

The Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) also committed to providing ActionAid Ghana with the schedule for MMDA town hall meetings. This will enable AAG and GES to participate in the meetings and present evidence on education challenges to local assemblies, with the aim of influencing timely budgetary allocations for education priorities.

Civil society organisations participating in the forum welcomed the presentation of education data and statistics and committed to using the evidence to inform their planning and decision-making.

ActionAid Ghana calls for accountability

Speaking at the forum, Justin Bayor, Esq., Head of Programmes, Campaigns and Innovations at ActionAid Ghana, stressed that education outcomes must be measured beyond school enrolment.

“Quality education cannot be measured by the number of children who enter a classroom alone. We must ask whether children are learning, staying in school and receiving the support they need. Every resource committed to children must reach its intended beneficiary.”

The forum concluded with the development of action plans to guide implementation of the commitments. ActionAid Ghana will follow up with the MMDAs, GES and RCC to track progress, identify implementation gaps and determine the next steps.

For ActionAid Ghana, the forum reaffirmed that quality education requires more than infrastructure and enrolment. It requires strong public systems, empowered communities, effective monitoring and accountability, adequate resources and sustained collaboration.

AAG will continue working with communities and duty bearers to ensure that education commitments translate into measurable improvements in the lives and learning outcomes of children across the Northern Region.

Written by Jacqueline Parditey.