The country has been independent since 1957. Education is one of Ghana’s political priorities. Since 2005, all children have been able to attend primary school free of charge. There are also private schools such as the Midnight Sun International School and Koran schools. All three systems can be freely chosen by the parents of schoolchildren and are basically on an equal footing. With the 2007 education reform, basic education has been extended from nine to eleven years. This includes two years of kindergarten (pre-school), six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school; the age of entry to pre-school is four years, to primary school six, and in exceptional cases five years.
There are 46 regional languages and dialects in Ghana. Primary school education is often provided in the respective regional dialect, but English is generally used at secondary schools from secondary level onwards. At Midnight Sun International School, English is therefore already spoken with the children in kindergarten.
Although basic education is free for nine years in state schools, school uniforms, textbooks and other teaching materials have to be paid for by the pupils or their parents. And although schooling is compulsory in Ghana, many children are denied the opportunity to attend school. Children often have to travel enormous distances from their homes to the nearest school. In addition, not all parents, most of whom are illiterate themselves, can do without their children’s help in the family and on the farm.
