Quality of Education for Youth: A Case Study of Secondary Education Provision in Ghana

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) is central to the current global education policy agenda being rolled out worldwide until 2030 (Milligan et al, 2016). Its predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000-2015) focused on achieving universal primary education (UPE) and critically overlooked education quality which has culminated in the current 'learning crisis' where millions of children globally have accessed school but not achieved even the most basic literacy and numeracy skills (World Bank, 2018). This learning crisis has significant implications for socio-economic development across the world and is acutely felt in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

SSA governments are rapidly moving towards Universal Secondary Education (USE) policies in pursuit of a higher skilled workforce and stronger economic growth. Despite this, the global education and research community is yet to engage in debates on the myriad of challenges this presents and its wider policy and socio-economic implications. Furthermore, much of the existing research on education in SSA focuses on primary, vocational and tertiary education. In order to avoid another learning crisis in 11 years' time, USE necessitates new analysis to inform our collective understanding as academics and practitioners of what works, why and how this may inform policy and practice.

To address these gaps, this proposed research will explore the implementation of Ghana's USE policy and its impact on the new intake of first-generation secondary school learners and beyond. Ghana presents a fruitful context for this research in light of the multiple ambitious education reforms currently taking place, including USE which was established in 2017. The overarching research question will explore how quality and expectations of USE are conceptualised and enacted by different stakeholders across different categories of schools and its implications for education delivery and the wider economy. It will also consider the transition from Junior High School (JHS) to Senior High School (SHS), inclusion and learners' needs in terms of curriculum and pedagogy to support that transition.

Using interpretive and social constructivist approaches, this research will employ qualitative methods and a case study methodology. In addition to an in-depth literature review and documentary analysis, the empirical research will involve a selection of secondary schools, purposively sampled to represent the three different tiers in the current secondary school system. The methods used will include semi-structured interviews with teachers, headteachers and key informants and, teacher observations and focus groups with parents.

In line with scholarly works in the field, the focus of the research emanates from personal professional experiences as a consultant, researcher and donor programme manager in Ghana, Malawi and Rwanda. In particular, when engaging in early USE research in Ghana, it was abundantly clear that the challenges of the MDGs were resurfacing and rapid expansion to secondary education required a different approach. Moreover, the ways in which global frameworks are adapted and contested in practice is rarely explored.

This research will be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders focused on global education, youth, employability and skills. This includes academics, policymakers, education ministries, development agencies and practitioners as well as education financing partners. Furthermore, this research is expected to contribute to ongoing academic debates around quality, contingent constructivism and analysis of Learner Centred Education in the Global South. The research also has wider relevance within SSA, for countries implementing USE and particularly for governments considering USE policies in the near future.