INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NOVEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT International Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journals, Open Access Journal ISSN Approved Journal No: 2456-4184 | Impact factor: 8.76 | ESTD Year: 2016
Scholarly open access journals, Peer-reviewed, and Refereed Journals, Impact factor 8.76 (Calculate by google scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool) , Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Indexing in all major database & Metadata, Citation Generator, Digital Object Identifier(DOI)
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Published Paper Details
Paper Title:
Ghana's Free Education Policy and Challenges of Infrastructure and Teaching/Learning -Materials: Situational Study of Public Senior High Schools in the Tamale Metropolis.
ABSTRACT
Undoubtedly, infrastructure and teaching-learning materials are the backbone of formal education. Ghana free education policy has led to huge increment in student’s enrollment. Managing large students’ numbers required supply of additional infrastructure and teaching-learning materials to schools. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of Ghana’s free educational policy on infrastructure and teaching-learning materials in public senior high schools in Tamale Metropolis. The study formulated four objectives: to examine the availability of infrastructure; to examine the availability of teaching-learning materials; to identify the challenges; to investigate the effect of Ghana’s free educational policy on infrastructure and learning materials in public senior high schools. The study used the mixed method and data was collected using pre-tested questionnaire and observation.
This study found the available infrastructure in senior high schools to include classrooms; teachers’ quarters; dormitories for boys and girls; assembly halls; dining halls; kitchens, classroom doors and windows; hand-washing stations; water storage systems; dust bins; adolescent girls changing and washing room in all toilet; recreational halls; internet facilities; sewerage system; toilet for girls; toilet for boys; urinal for boys; urinal for girls; bathrooms for boys; bathrooms for girls; most participants; available clean water; science labs; ICT labs; market place; lightening in school compounds; boundary walls; access to electricity; teachers’ room; headteachers’ office; library facility; sports facility; storage room in the schools. Through observation, this study found that most of these facilities were insufficient, require repairs, and some were too damaged to be repaired.
This study further demonstrates that the available teaching-learning materials in senior high schools include teachers instructional guide; textbooks; shelves or storage for books; equipment and materials in labs; audio-visual medium; classrooms and schools’ ventilation; furniture in library; furniture in classrooms; furniture for teachers; books in the libraries; and the schools are experiencing overcrowding in classrooms and in schools. Through observation, the study noticed that most of these resources were not in good form to be used to their fullest capacity and others were even non-functional.
The current study found that the obstacles facing senior high schools include deterioration of classroom facilities and school buildings; congestion in classrooms; inadequate classrooms and classrooms furniture; inadequate water supply; lack of equipment and dormitories; lack of funds for operational cost; delayed in disbursement of funds for feeding; poor quality of food for students; lack of toilets and other hygiene facilities; lack of subject’s teachers; teaching-learning materials; insufficient Technology; decreased teacher resources; lack of teacher motivation; overused library resources; increase students’ enrolments; increased student-teacher ratio.
Also, this study results demonstrates that the free education policy has positive effects such as reduced financial pressure on students and their parents; increase students’ enrolments and reduced school dropout from schools. The current study found that the free education policy does not positively affect or improved infrastructure; increased funding for operational cost in schools; increased technology and access to computers for students; increased labs and equipment; increases academic performance of students; improved library facilities; increased classrooms; and increased sport facilities in public senior high schools.
The results showed that free education policy is associated with inadequate classrooms; lack of dormitories; decreased quality of infrastructure, students’ congestion in classrooms; poor quality of food for students; increase exams malpractice in schools; delayed disbursement of funds for schools; inadequate classrooms furniture; lack of labs and equipment; insufficient teaching-learning materials e.g., textbooks; absence of subject’s teachers; put pressure on library resources; inadequate supply of water; and lack of toilets and other hygiene facilities.
In conclusion, while the findings of this research demonstrate that the introduction of the free education policy has been beneficial in making education accessible to all, it is clear that there is still a great deal to be done to improve educational infrastructure and learning materials at senior high schools.
Keywords:
Challenges of Infrastructure and Teaching Learning -Materials
Cite Article:
"Ghana's Free Education Policy and Challenges of Infrastructure and Teaching/Learning -Materials: Situational Study of Public Senior High Schools in the Tamale Metropolis.", International Journal of Novel Research and Development (www.ijnrd.org), ISSN:2456-4184, Vol.9, Issue 6, page no.1-77, June-2024, Available :http://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRDTH00171.pdf
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ISSN:
2456-4184 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.76 Calculated By Google Scholar| ESTD YEAR: 2016
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.76 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
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