Education remains one of the most important tools for national development. It helps to build human capital, improve skills, and prepare young people for the future. Through education, countries are able to train professionals, strengthen institutions, and promote national growth. In Ghana, schools continue to play a major role in this process by helping children acquire knowledge, values, discipline, and skills needed for life.
Over the years, private basic schools have become an important part of Ghana’s educational system. Some parents choose private schools because they believe such schools provide better supervision, improved academic performance, and a more disciplined learning environment. In many communities, especially in rural and underserved areas, private schools also help to reduce pressure on public schools by providing additional spaces for learners.
However, many private basic schools across the country are quietly facing serious challenges. Behind the classrooms, examination results, and school compounds that appear stable lies a difficult reality marked by financial pressure, unstable staffing, and weak leadership structures. Although private schools are often seen as important partners in improving access to education, many are struggling to survive.
According to the Ministry of Education’s Educational Management Information System (EMIS), Ghana has about 42,544 public basic schools and 31,093 private basic schools. This means private schools make up nearly 43% of all basic schools in the country, showing how important they have become within Ghana’s educational system (Emetald Insight, 2024). These figures show that private schools are not operating on a small scale. They are now a major part of the country’s educational structure and contribute greatly to teaching and learning across Ghana.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how vulnerable many private schools are. During the period when schools were closed, many private schools faced severe financial difficulties because they depended mainly on school fees paid by parents. Once schools stopped operating physically, many parents also lost their jobs or sources of income and could no longer afford fees.
As a result, several parents withdrew their children from private schools and transferred them to public schools or kept them at home. This led to low enrolment and, in some cases, the complete collapse of some schools because they could no longer continue operations.
Reports from the Ghana National Council of Private Schools showed that by January 4, 2021, about 126 private schools had collapsed because of the effects of the pandemic (Nii Larte Lartey, Citi Newsroom, 2021). These closures affected teachers, school owners, families, and communities that depended on those schools for education and employment. Many teachers lost their jobs and struggled to support their families during that difficult period.
The pandemic also sparked discussions about school fees. The Conference of Directors of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools explained that reducing fees during the 2020/21 academic year was not compulsory. In a statement signed by its President, Philip Boateng Mensah, parents were advised to enrol their children in schools they could afford. The statement further noted that public schools were available and mostly free (JoyNews, 2021). This situation highlighted the challenge between making education affordable and keeping private schools financially stable.
Even though private schools continue to support access to education, especially in rural and underserved communities, they face many problems that need urgent attention.
Financial strain
Financial difficulty remains one of the biggest challenges facing private basic schools. Most private schools depend mainly on fees paid by parents to run their activities. These fees are used to pay salaries, rent, electricity bills, teaching materials, taxes, transportation, and other administrative expenses.
However, when schools increase fees to meet rising costs, parents struggle to pay and may transfer their children to cheaper schools. The current economic situation in the country has made it difficult for some families to keep their children in private schools for a long time.
This creates a serious challenge. Some schools reduce fees to retain students, but this affects the quality of teaching and school management. In some cases, proprietors consider shutting down their schools or turning them into other businesses because of continuous financial losses.
Teacher salary is another major concern. In many private schools, teachers receive very low monthly salaries. Some graduate teachers earn between GHC 1,000 and GHC 1,600 per month. Such income makes it difficult for teachers to meet basic needs like food, transport, accommodation, and healthcare.
Apart from low salaries, some teachers also experience delays in payment. Some are paid late, partly, or not paid at all. This situation creates hardship and reduces teachers’ commitment to the job (GhanaWeb, 2017). In the long run, poor teacher welfare affects the quality of education in schools because teachers may lose motivation and interest in their work.
Staff instability
Closely linked to financial challenges is the issue of staff instability. In many private schools, teaching is often seen as a temporary job. Some unemployed graduates and Senior High School leavers accept teaching positions only because they cannot find better opportunities elsewhere.
Due to poor salaries, weak job security, and difficult working conditions, many teachers leave after a short period. Some resign suddenly without giving proper notice, forcing school authorities to quickly search for replacements.
Frequent teacher turnover creates problems for teaching and learning. In some cases, schools are forced to employ less qualified or inexperienced teachers just to fill vacant positions. This negatively affects lesson delivery and students’ understanding in class.
The constant movement of teachers also affects students emotionally and academically. Learners struggle to adapt to new teachers and different teaching styles all the time. Some students may lose interest in certain subjects because of repeated changes in teachers.
Over time, some schools that once performed well begin to record poor results in national examinations because of unstable staffing. The school may also lose its reputation in the community when academic performance begins to decline.
Leadership gaps
Leadership challenges also threaten the survival of many private basic schools. In several cases, schools are managed mainly by proprietors without proper administrative structures or succession plans. The daily running of the school often depends heavily on one person.
When the proprietor becomes unavailable, retires, falls sick, or passes away, the school may face uncertainty and instability. There have been instances where schools collapsed after the death of their founders because no proper leadership arrangements had been made.
In some situations, disputes among family members over ownership and control create confusion that weakens the school’s operations. Such disagreements may affect payment of salaries, school administration, and decision-making processes.
When parents notice such instability, they often lose confidence in the school and withdraw their children. Even schools with good academic records and strong infrastructure may eventually collapse if leadership structures are weak.
This shows that good academic performance alone cannot sustain a school. Effective management, planning, transparency, and leadership continuity are equally important for the survival of private schools.
Despite these challenges, private basic schools continue to make important contributions to Ghana’s educational system. They help improve access to education and support academic development, especially in areas where public schools are limited.
However, if these growing problems are not addressed, the future of many private schools may remain uncertain. Their collapse would not only reduce access to education but also increase pressure on public schools.
There is therefore the need for collective support from government, school associations, financial institutions, and communities. Better policies, financial assistance, teacher support, leadership training, and improved regulation can help strengthen the private education sector.
Private basic schools continue to hold an important place in Ghana’s educational system, but many are barely surviving. The warning signs are clear. The question remains whether stakeholders will act early enough to protect these schools and the many learners who depend on them.
By Henry Atta Nyame, Institutional Assessment Practitioner
(hattanyame@gmail.com)
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