Joint RPCs Conference at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana

CREATE is one of three Research Programme Consortia (RPC) funded by the Department for International Development (DfID). The three consortia participated in a joint conference at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana on the 27th and 28th of September 2010. Each RPC gave several presentations over the two days. CREATE’s session was followed by EdQual  (University of Bristol) - and RECOUP (University of Cambridge), along with their Ghanaian partners. The event was organised by the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Cape Coast.

The CREATE team from Sussex included Professor Keith Lewin, Dr. Kwame Akyeampong and Dr. Benjamin Zeitlyn along with two Sussex DPhil students - Eric Ananga and Luke Akaguri – from the University of Winneba. Caine Rolleston attended from the CREATE group at the Institute of Education in London. In Cape Coast the UK based team joined up with the CREATE Cape Coast and Winneba based research team including Professor Jerome Djangmah, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, Dr. Ato Essuman, Christiana Buxton, Cris Kwaa and Dr. Louis Boakye-Yiadom, (University of Ghana).

Over 100 participants attended the event including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service officers, district education directors, academics, post graduate students, head teachers, teachers and members of the press. A team from DfID (Ghana) and DfID (London) also attended and participated in panel discussions.

The conference was introduced by the Vice Chancellor of University of Cape Coast and a representative of the Minister of Education who was unable to attend. Keith Lewin gave an introductory overview to CREATE’s conceptual model and research in Ghana. This stressed the need to resolve issues of enrolment of over age children, children dropping out of school and social inequity in access for Ghana to achieve the Millennium Development Goal to universalise basic education by 2015. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah presented next, providing detailed insights into the problems of over age enrolment and progression in schools. His presentation was followed by a Christiana Buxton, who discussed her work on the links between malnutrition, late enrolment and under achievement in schools. Caine Rolleston developed his analysis of the effects of the practice of fosterage on access to education. Next the presentations turned to the links between access to education and costs and poverty –Louis Boakye-Yiadom and Luke Akaguri both presented their analyses of the costs of education and costs of schooling. Eric Ananga’s work on drop out was placed on the table. Kwame Akyeampong wrapped up the session with a discussion of the impact on access of Ghana’s capitation grant, which helps to make public primary and junior secondary schools in Ghana fee free. CREATE presentations from the conference are available on the CREATE website here.

In the closing session of the conference Keith Lewin and Kwame Akyeampong presented a summary of CREATE’s work in Ghana along with the other RPC directors.

A second dissemination event was held at The University of Education at Winneba following the conference, where Keith Lewin, Kwame Akyeampong, Eric Ananga, and Luke Akaguri presented their research to an audience of Professors, lecturers, teacher trainees and district officials.

In a separate event Keith Lewin and Kwame Akyeampong presented the key issues for policy consideration to the Ministry of Education. This meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Education, and had the principal secretary (Chief Director) and the Director of the Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring and Evaluation (PBME) division also in attendance. DFID-Accra (Dr. Rachel Hinton) and the World Bank (Mr. Peter Davas) were also represented at this meeting.

Powerpoint presentations and photos:

More Photos

Dr. Ato Essuman and Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, University of Cape Coast, Ghana - Conference at the University of Cape Coast.

Second dissemination event at The University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Prof. S.M Quartey, Dean of Graduate School, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, Professor Keith Lewin and Dr Kwame Akyeampong, Sussex University, UK

Professor Keith Lewin, Sussex University, UK

Dr. George Kankam, Head of Centre for Educational Policy, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana and Professor Keith Lewin, Sussex University, UK