Ghana’s future depends on the quality of education we deliver today. Too often, public debate about schooling frames the state and non-state sectors as rivals. The truth is simpler and more urgent: Ghana’s public and private pre-tertiary schools are partners in national development. Private schools educate millions of children, relieve pressure on public provision, innovate quickly, and reach communities that would otherwise be underserved. If policymakers and international partners treat private pre-tertiary education as an asset rather than an afterthought, the country will make faster, fairer progress toward its human-capital goals.
Consider the numbers. Ghana’s basic education system serves nearly six million learners in public basic schools alone. The Ministry of Education reports more than 43,000 public basic schools catering to roughly 5.9 million learners (2022). At the same time, government records show tens of thousands of private basic schools registered with the Ghana Education Service, reflecting a parallel system that is substantial in size and national reach. These private institutions—including kindergartens, primary schools and junior high schools—play a strong role in meeting Ghana’s rising demand for places and for quality alternatives.
World Bank and UNESCO data confirm the scale of private provision: roughly 28–30% of primary-level enrolment in Ghana is in private schools (World Bank data for 2020–2022), a percentage that has edged upward as families seek choice and quality. This means that nearly one in three children at primary level is learning in a non-state school, a non-trivial share whose outcomes, capacity and working conditions directly shape the country’s human capital.
Why does this matter for national development? First, private schools increase access. They open seats in fast-growing urban areas, provide pre-primary options in communities with limited public provision, and often operate in peri-urban and rural settings where demand outstrips state supply. Also, they are incubators of innovation: private schools experiment with pedagogies, measurement of learning outcomes, parent engagement models, and low-cost technology adoption that, if responsibly scaled, can benefit the whole sector. That aside, private schools are employers and small-business engines training teachers, creating administrative jobs and stimulating local economies.
But potential alone is not enough. For private schools to reliably contribute to national development, three basic conditions must be met: recognition, regulation that protects children and ensures quality, and strategic partnerships that provide resources and capacity building.
