By Kodjo Adams, GNA
Accra, Nov. 4, GNA – The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), an education policy advocacy organisation, has urged the government to allocate at least six per cent of the 2027 education budget to pre-tertiary Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to strengthen practical skills development and improve infrastructure.
It also called for an increase in the annual practical training allocation from GH¢70 to at least GH¢300 per learner, alongside the introduction of a dedicated Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) Transport Stipend to ease the cost of industry-based training.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Eduwatch said the proposals form part of a memorandum submitted to the Minister of Education ahead of the presentation of the 2027 National Budget on November 12, 2026.
It aimed at improving the quality, equity, and efficiency of public education financing and service delivery.
He said the proposed interventions were necessary to sustain the growing interest in TVET, address infrastructure deficits and ensure that increased enrolment translated into quality practical training and improved employment prospects for learners.
According to the organisation, TVET participation increased from approximately 11 per cent of secondary school enrolment in 2024 to 14.8 per cent in 2025.
However, it said the share of the education budget allocated to pre-tertiary TVET declined from 5.6 per cent in 2025 to 3.7 per cent in 2026, raising concerns about the adequacy of funding to support ongoing reforms.
Mr Asare urged the Ministry of Education to reverse the decline and prioritise infrastructure development and practical training support in the 2027 budget.
The organisation also called for at least one-third of the total second-cycle education infrastructure financing envelope to be allocated to TVET to address infrastructure deficits and support equitable access to training.
Beyond TVET, Mr Asare urged the government to introduce dedicated budgetary allocations for school-based examinations, exercise books and targeted learning support in public basic schools.
He said shortages of textbooks and desks, coupled with the absence of public funding for school-based examinations, exercise books and other learning support, continued to shift education costs to parents and risked excluding children from poor households.
While acknowledging government’s efforts to expand basic school infrastructure through increased District Assemblies Common Fund financing, the organisation said further investment was required to address persistent gaps in teaching and learning resources.
He called for adequate funding for textbooks and desks, as well as dedicated allocations for school-based examinations and other essential learning materials.
Mr Asare raised concerns about persistent teacher shortages and inequitable deployment, particularly in rural and underserved basic and TVET schools.
He said additional teacher recruitment alone might not resolve the disparities unless recruitment and deployment were guided by verified school-level staffing requirements.
The organisation recommended adequate budgetary provision for needs-based teacher recruitment and deployment to ensure a more equitable distribution of teachers across schools.
He called for the implementation of the long-delayed Deprived Area Allowance to help retain and motivate teachers working in underserved communities.
The allowance, he said, was necessary to address the challenges associated with attracting and retaining teachers in deprived areas and to improve the quality of education available to pupils in those communities.
The organisation stressed that the proposed interventions must be supported by timely releases of funds, transparent expenditure reporting and effective monitoring to ensure that budgetary commitments translated into improved teaching and learning outcomes.
He said the 2027 budget should ultimately reduce the financial burden on households, strengthen practical skills development, and promote equitable access to quality education across the country.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Kodjo Adams
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