You can’t fix school system without fixing what children will do after graduation – Prof Ernest Ayeetey

Professor of Development Economics at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Ernest Ayeetey says Ghana's efforts to reform its education system will remain incomplete unless the economy creates opportunities for young people after they leave school.

He argues that while successive governments have introduced measures to keep children in school and improve access to education, insufficient attention has been paid to the employment opportunities awaiting graduates.

Speaking at the Achimota Speaks event on Wednesday, November 11, Prof Ayeetey said the focus on expanding access, providing incentives and investing in schools must be matched with efforts to strengthen the economy.

“We are doing everything possible to keep kids in school, but we are not interested in what they will do when they leave school. That incentive is not there,” he said.

“For me, you can't fix the school system without fixing what the kids will do when they leave.”

He explained that the original objective of establishing schools such as Achimota was to produce professionals whose skills would support the country's development.

However, he said the expansion of education had not been matched by growth in industries and other sectors that could employ the increasing number of graduates.

Prof Ayeetey pointed to the manufacturing sector, which he said had remained stagnant, leaving engineering graduates with few factories in which to work.

He also questioned the limited availability of modern farms for graduates trained in agriculture, arguing that they were being equipped with skills without sufficient opportunities to put them into practice.

He said the situation could discourage investment in education reforms when students who complete their studies struggle to secure employment.

Prof Ayeetey was, however, quick to clarify that his comments should not be interpreted as opposition to investment in education.

“And I do hope that nobody will interpret what I've said to mean that don't invest in schools. By all means, invest in schools, but don't end there,” he said.

“That's what I'm saying. Don't end there. Fix the economy. Fix the manufacturing. Fix the agriculture. Fix whatever, so that when the kids leave, it'll be part of their package.”

He urged policymakers to link education planning with broader economic development, saying the country must create the jobs and productive sectors needed to absorb the graduates its schools continue to produce.