The Global Education Partnership Grant (GPEG), a fund set up by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ghana Education Service (GES) is expected to improve planning, monitoring and delivery of basic education services in 57 deprived districts of Ghana.

The $75.5 million grant among other things will help to ensure that, the four core education elements of access, quality, bridging gender gap and education management is achieved. The breakdown of categories of schools is as follows: Kindergarten receives GH₵800, Primary school gets GH₵1,200, and Junior High School GH₵1000. Under this arrangement, each deprived district is expected to receive $155.800 for education improvement. In addition, over 5000 teachers will also benefit from the Teacher Development and Skill Upgrading which is estimated at US$15.07 million and US$22.06 million provided as sub-grants to schools in the deprived districts to complement capitation grant funding.  

The MoE and GES will be supported with US$4.58 million for programme management, institutional strengthening and monitoring and evaluation of project activities.  

In order to access the funds, head teachers must prepare School Performance Improvement Plan (SPIP) which must be in tandem with annual performance work plan of the district. 

The SPIP is vetted by Circuit Supervisors and educational authorities to ensure it is in line with guidelines. 

Once the SPIP is approved, an authorization letter is issued to the head teacher to access the funds at the bank. 

The GPEG provides an elaborate process of accessing and reporting expenditures, a more reliable funding for non-salary expenditures in basic education. This framework builds on existing government systems and also on the key objectives of the Education Strategic Plan 2010-2015, especially in its focus on equity and quality of services and on efficiency and accountability of education management.

As a result of GPEG implementation, enrollment figures have increase to the extent that in some instances it was posing infrastructure challenges for school authorities.

Story by Harriet Nuamah-Agyemang, Programme Officer, SEND-GHANA