By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), Aug. 7, GNA – ActionAid Ghana has called for stronger budget accountability mechanisms to ensure equitable access to quality education for all children.
Ms She-Vera Anzagira, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti Regional Programmes Manager of ActionAid Ghana, said although government continued to allocate funds to the education sector, concerns remained about the timely release and utilisation of the resources.
She said this underscored the need for communities to demand accountability from duty bearers.
”Every child deserves quality education, but how education has been budgeted and what has actually been released are the concerns Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMCs) have been raising, hence today’s engagement,” she said.
Ms Anzagira was speaking at a PTA Network-led Accountability Forum on the utilisation of the District Education Budget for 2023, 2024 and 2025 at the Kadjebi District Assembly Hall in the Oti Region.
The forum, organised by ActionAid Ghana in partnership with the Network of Communities in Development (NOCID), a Kadjebi-based non-governmental organisation, brought together PTA executives, education stakeholders, officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and technocrats of the Kadjebi District Assembly.
Ms Anzagira said ActionAid Ghana remained committed to promoting the rights of women, children and vulnerable groups through advocacy and citizen participation.
She noted that improving access to quality education required not only increased budgetary allocations but also transparency, accountability and active community participation in monitoring the use of public resources.
She urged PTAs and SMCs to continue engaging constructively with duty bearers to ensure that resources allocated to education translated into improved teaching and learning outcomes.
Madam Agnes Obour, Coordinator of NOCID, said education remained one of the most important investments for national development, but limited information on budget releases often hampered effective community oversight.
She said the forum sought to equip community members with knowledge on education budgeting and expenditure to enable them to demand accountability from relevant institutions.
Mr Anthony Agortimevor, Budget Officer at the Kadjebi District Directorate of the GES, said effective budgeting began with proper planning, identification of priority needs and prudent allocation of available resources.
He said educational budgeting ensured that resources were channelled into critical areas to guarantee quality learning opportunities for all children.
Mr Agortimevor said a well-planned budget translated financial resources into tangible educational outcomes and contributed to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4), which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
He said the GES budget was structured around three expenditure components: Compensation, Goods and Services, and Assets.
According to him, the student population at the basic level (KG to JHS) in the district increased from 18,100 in 2023 to 18,523 in 2024 and 19,391 in 2025.
Mr Agortimevor said the district received GHS73,392.53 out of a budget allocation of GHS181,000.00 in 2023, leaving a shortfall of GHS107,607.47.
He said in 2024, the district received GHS241,667.87 out of an allocation of GHS277,980.00, representing a shortfall of GHS36,312.13.
For 2025, he said, the district received GHS239,062.14 out of an allocation of GHS290,865.00, resulting in a shortfall of GHS51,802.86.
Mr Gershon Amedo, Budget Analyst at the Kadjebi District Assembly, said education occupied a central place in the Assembly’s development agenda, leading to significant resource allocations to the sector within the limits of available funds.
He said the Assembly remained committed to supporting educational infrastructure and other interventions aimed at improving learning outcomes across the district.
Mr Amedo appealed to residents to fulfil their tax obligations to help increase the Assembly’s Internally Generated Funds (IGF), thereby enhancing its capacity to finance development projects, including those in the education sector.
Participants called for the regular publication of education budget releases, stronger collaboration among education stakeholders and sustained community participation in monitoring the use of public funds to promote accountability and improve quality education delivery in the district.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah