Access has been a historic strength of Ghana’s education system, although issues remain with over-age enrolment. Recent progress in reading is promising, yet basic education learning outcomes remain low. Since 2017, Ghana has implemented ambitious reforms, including the development of teacher standards, a new curriculum, fee-free senior secondary education, and an overhaul of pre-service teacher education. These reforms aim to improve accountability and learning outcomes across basic schools.

Fieldwork findings indicate that Ghana performs well in areas like national vision clarity, leadership, and curriculum effectiveness. However, concerns remain about resources focused on foundational literacy and numeracy, as well as community and parental engagement. While there are instances of effective supervision and teacher implementation of the new curriculum, consistency and improvement are necessary to achieve the objectives of the Education Strategic Plan 2018–2030.

Recommendations include introducing structured materials and support for professional learning sessions focused on phonics, ensuring teaching materials reach classrooms, providing education leadership training, exploring new funding mechanisms, assisting local education offices in prioritizing objectives, and decentralizing decision-making to enhance local accountability. Addressing these areas is crucial for ensuring all students achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills.

This comprehensive approach aims to elevate education quality and outcomes in Ghana’s basic education system.