 | Ghana: A Baseline Study of the Teacher Education System (CIE, 2000, 67 p.) |
 |  | Chapter 1: Basic Education in Ghana: An Overview |
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1.6 Pupil-Teacher Ratios
Aggregate pupil-teacher ratios (PTRs) in Ghana are generous by international standards in developing countries, and in 1996 were 32 and 21 for primary and JSS, respectively. The PTR is a crucial indicator of how the costs of providing education services are being influenced. Projections from the 1998 MOE Education Sector Strategic Plan, indicate a clear government commitment to steadily increase PTRs in primary and JSS schools to 35.2 and 22.7 by 2003. See Table 1.6.
Table 1.6: Projected Pupil-Teacher Ratios at Primary and JSS Levels, 1998-2003
| |
1998/99 |
1999/00 |
2000/01 |
2001/02 |
2002/03 |
2003/04 |
|
primary |
33.7 |
33.9 |
34.3 |
34.6 |
34.9 |
35.2 |
|
JSS |
21.2 |
21.5 |
21.8 |
22.1 |
22.4 |
22.7 |
Source: Education Sector Strategic Plan 1998-2003, MOE, 1998
National PTRs, however, hide large disparities in class sizes, with some urban primary schools having classes as large as 80 children, while many rural schools have classes of less than 20. Average regional PTRs provide some indication of variation by geographical location (Table 1.7).
Table 1.7: Average Regional Primary Pupil-Teacher Ratios, 1997
|
Region |
Average PTRs |
|
Ashanti |
31.3 |
|
Brong Ahafo |
26.4 |
|
Central |
36.1 |
|
Eastern |
28.5 |
|
Greater Accra |
40.0 |
|
Northern |
37.2 |
|
Volta |
32.1 |
|
Upper East |
46.5 |
|
Upper West |
39.7 |
|
Western |
33.0 |
|
National Regional Average |
33.4 |
Source: DFID 1998
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