Education System in Ghana
| Education | School/Level | Grade From | Grade To | Age From | Age To | Years | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Primary School | 6 | Ghana operates on a 6-3-4-4 System | |||||
| Middle | Junior High School | 3 | Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at the end of JHS | |||||
| Secondary | Senior High School | 4 | Admission to Senior High School is competitive. West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, or WASSCE, (SSCE through 2005; WASSCE beginning in 2006) at the end of the Senior High School. Examinations are given nationwide in May-June each year. | |||||
| Tertiary | First Level- Diplomas/Certificates | 2 | Diplomas/Certificates | |||||
| Tertiary | First Level- Higher National Diploma Teacher/Nursing Training | 3 | Higher National Diploma Teacher/Nursing Training | |||||
| Tertiary | Undergraduate Education | 4 | Seven public universities and twenty-one private institutions are also accredited by the National Accreditation Board (www.nab.gov.gh) to award Bachelor’s degrees. Over 20,000 Ghanaian students apply to the universities in the USA every year. | |||||
| Tertiary | Graduate Education_ Master's Diploma (1 to 2 years) | 2 | Master's Diploma (1 to 2 years) | |||||
| Tertiary | Graduate Education_ Ph.D., 2 or more years | 2 | Ph.D., 2 or more years |
Primary Education
Life sometimes goes at a leisurely pace in Africa, and school education can take up to 20 years to complete. For this reason is it fortunate that it is free unless more fortunate parents enroll their kids at private schools. Around age six or children enter primary school to complete their first 6 grades.
Middle Education
Junior high school occupies them for the next three years. Subjects forming their curriculum include a Ghanaian language, basic designing and technology, english, french, information technology, integrated science, maths, social studies and moral education. Unfortunately private junior high schools are better endowed and provide better educated scholars.
Secondary Education
A successful pass admits students to senior high school where surprisingly enough most institutions are state owned. The compulsory 3 year program includes english, maths, science, social studies and physical education. In addition to that, they also elect to specialize in agriculture, business, general arts, or science.
Vocational Education
Recent changes to vocational training programs are designed to ensure that from age 16 onwards students are given opportunities to train in various professions. New schools are being built and additional courses rolled out.
Tertiary Education
Post-secondary education in Ghana commonly takes 4 years to complete. The best students continue with nominally free education at a state university while others have to pay for education at a private one. A range of post-graduate study is available too.
The University of Ghana was established in 1948 by the colonial authority as the University College of the Gold Coast. There students study for traditional degrees as well as technology-based training and vocational courses.