RESEARCH
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
While basic education is considered a fundamental human right, and therefore, incumbent on governments to provide education for all children irrespective of their social, cultural or economic background, the issue of the costs continues to challenge both governments and households on how to achieve this goal. Lack of education contributes to social inequalities and vulnerability to poverty (Moncrieff 2009), and therefore, combating social exclusion has to start with ensuring equal access to quality education for all. In fact, the lack of educational opportunities for children often reinforces their subjection to various other human rights violation (EFA Working Document 1996 p. 45).
The issue of rights to basic education goes as far back as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) article 26 which declared that, everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Similarly, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), articles 13 and 14 reinforced these rights, stating that, primary education shall be compulsory and available “free to all” (emphasis added). But, though basic education as a human right is embedded in several legal and constitutional frameworks of many developing countries, this has not necessarily led to the abolition of school fees to ensure the enjoyment of this right by all. According to UNESCO, roughly one in five countries, do not constitutionally guarantee free and compulsory primary education, and the proportion rises to one in three if North America and Western Europeare included (UNESCO 2007, p 25). Nevertheless, the international consensus is that free basic education should be a fundamental and basic human right.
Improving the quantity and quality of education remains an important goal for many countriesincluding Ghana. This is in line with the country’s subscription to the
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
While basic education is considered a fundamental human right, and therefore, incumbent on governments to provide education for all children irrespective of their social, cultural or economic background, the issue of the costs continues to challenge both governments and households on how to achieve this goal. Lack of education contributes to social inequalities and vulnerability to poverty (Moncrieff 2009), and therefore, combating social exclusion has to start with ensuring equal access to quality education for all. In fact, the lack of educational opportunities for children often reinforces their subjection to various other human rights violation (EFA Working Document 1996 p. 45).
The issue of rights to basic education goes as far back as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) article 26 which declared that, everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Similarly, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), articles 13 and 14 reinforced these rights, stating that, primary education shall be compulsory and available “free to all” (emphasis added). But, though basic education as a human right is embedded in several legal and constitutional frameworks of many developing countries, this has not necessarily led to the abolition of school fees to ensure the enjoyment of this right by all. According to UNESCO, roughly one in five countries, do not constitutionally guarantee free and compulsory primary education, and the proportion rises to one in three if North America and Western Europeare included (UNESCO 2007, p 25). Nevertheless, the international consensus is that free basic education should be a fundamental and basic human right.
Improving the quantity and quality of education remains an important goal for many countriesincluding Ghana. This is in line with the country’s subscription to the
References: ADEA, 2007.’’School fee Abolition: Planning For Quality and For Financial Sustainability’’. AL-Samarrai, S. and H. Zaman. 2006.’’Abolishing school fees in Malawi: the impact on education access and equity’’. Munich Personal RePEc Archive. Blaug, M. 1987. The economies of education and the education of an economist.New York University press. N. Y., Pp 267-268. Government of the Republic of Malawi, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture in collaboration with UNICEF, 1998. Free Primary Education: the malawi Experience, 1994-1998. Ministry of Education and Sports, 2006.”Report on the Education Sector Annual Review (ESAR) 2006” Ministry of education, Science and Sports, Ghana.2005.”linking ESP and the White paper reform’’, November 2005 National Development Planning Commission 2003 “Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I), 2003-2005.An Agenda for Growth and prosperity (GPRS).National Development Planning Commission. Government of Ghana. Accra, Ghana. National Development Planning Commission 2005” Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS I), 2006-2009. An agenda for Growth and Prosperity (GPRS). National UIS Development Planning Commission. Government of Ghana. Accra, Republic of Ghana, 1992.”constitution of the Republic of Ghana” Ghana News Agency UNICEF Ghana, 2006”Abolition of School fees’’, Issue Briefing Note9, July 2006 USAID, 2007.” School fees and Education for All: Is Abolition the Answer?” A working paper for EQUIP2. ISSER Ghana, 2009” Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research, May 2009. Microsoft Office Encarta (2012).