Country: Ghana
Sector: Education, Youth Development
Background:
A donor consortium sought to launch a re-entry education program for adolescents who had dropped out of school, particularly in underserved rural districts.
They required a needs assessment to understand the causes of dropout, the learning needs of adolescents, and feasible re-engagement pathways.
Approach:
We conducted surveys with 800 out-of-school adolescents and their guardians, along with interviews with school officials, community leaders, and local education officers. Focus group discussions were held separately with boys and girls to explore gendered dimensions of dropout. We also analyzed secondary data from district education offices.
Findings:
The leading causes of dropout included early marriage (38% of girls), long travel distances to school, economic hardship, and negative peer influence. Most adolescents expressed willingness to return to school if flexible learning models were introduced. Guardians, while supportive in principle, cited the need for their children to contribute to household income. Teachers and headmasters indicated that few schools had resources to accommodate re-entry learners.
