The Effect of the 1987 Education Reforms on Youth Unemployment in Ghana: An Exploratory Study

Globally, the importance of education to the growth of the national economies is no longer challenged. Hence, countries have focused on, and continue to focus attention on educating their populace. This is because education provides individuals with more opportunities and helps to alleviate poverty. It also constitutes a measure of addressing critical national issues, including increasing, improving and producing human or intellectual capital for increased productivity of work at workplaces. It was, therefore, not surprising to learn that Alan Greenspan (cited in Brimley and Garfield, 2002) opines that "for a nation to continue to prosper it must invest in human capital and that investment begins with schools" (p. 1). Greenspan was not alone in this direction. Indeed, most economists now recognise, and also do appreciate, the importance of investment in education for developing the nation's large reservoir of human capital. The struggle to raise a nation's living standard is fought first and foremost in the classroom. The jobs in industry, in manufacturing companies, and in services sector require workers that are educated. There is no gainsaying that countries that make only a minor effort in education usually produce only for material goods necessary for subsistence. It is perhaps in that line that Brimley and Garfield (2002) assert that the educational system thus becomes a very important result, as well as a determinant of the social and economic progress of a nation. It is in this light that the 1987 educational reforms in Ghana occasioned the introduction of a nine-year basic education, which comprises a six-year basic and three-year junior secondary education. This is followed by three years of senior secondary or technical and vocational education. Thus, within an expanded concept of second cycle education, technical institutes and vocational schools are now considered as second cycle institutions. As part of the reform, tertiary education constitutes four years of university education and three years diploma-awarding institutions. The new syllabuses and course levels generally broaden the scope of knowledge of the pupils and students. The idea behind the reforms was that the increased knowledge in mathematics, science, technology, social sciences and technical skills that would be acquired would enhance the creative potential of children. That in itself constitutes an important attribute of the new system. More so, the educational reforms equally led to increased output of graduates from the basic, secondary, technical, polytechnics and tertiary institutions. The provision of technical tools and equipment to the schools was done one-off. The expected training in pre-technical skills and pre-vocational skills at the JHS level, and at least, one of 33 practical skills for SHS students envisaged to undertake minor maintenance work at home and enhance their creativity, was largely not realised. Additionally, the intention that students who are not academically endowed can opt to learn specific trades in technical and vocational schools or get into apprenticeship after the JSS were also largely not achieved. However, it has been observed that increases in education bring increases in productivity and gains in social, political, and economic life. Education is also a major force for good citizenship and human betterment. No wonder, Ghana as a country has, and continues to encourage many families to take their children to school through provision of school infrastructures, capitation grants, school uniforms, books and school feeding programme. The Government of Ghana's spending on education, therefore, rose from GH05G3 million to GH01.7 billion between 2003 and 2011. The figure represents 18 to 27 percent of public expenditure (Kaly-Dery, 2014). There are eight public funded universities in Ghana, nine additional professional institutions have been accorded public university status and two chartered private tertiary institutions and ten polytechnics in each regional capital of Ghana. …

Source: UG