Abstract:

A goal of an educational system in any country is to produce and maintain a labor force that can effectively be engaged in the production, service, and other sectors of the economy. A significant amount of annual budgetary allocations of a country is dedicated to support educational initiatives from basic school level to levels in which terminal degrees are awarded. The country of Ghana in West Africa is no exception. The educational enterprise of the country has been subjected to turbulent political upheavals since independence to the point where, currently, the educational system does not appear to be serving the intended purpose. The educational sector continues to absorb a lot of the budgetary resources of the country, however.

This paper provides a review of the historical development of the educational system of Ghana since attaining independence in 1957 beginning with a model like the British system of education. In addition to the basic and secondary levels of education, the educational system of Ghana is currently composed of Teacher Training Colleges, TVETs, Polytechnics, Technical Universities, and traditional universities that provide services like other regular universities around the world. An attempt is made in this paper to present a wholistic analysis of the educational system to determine its effectiveness in providing and supporting a labor force that participates in growing the economy and raising the standard of living of the citizens. In the review documented in the paper, some comparisons are made with other educational systems around the world. A key conclusion resulting from the review is for a redesign of the educational system in which effective teaching and learning is emphasized and evaluated periodically. Additionally, and equally important is for the creation of formal and effective linkages between industry, the public sector, tertiary, and vocational educational institutions.

Keywords:

Country, development, educational system, industry linkages.