The Campaign and Advocacy Manager of Afrikids Ghana, Raymond Akolbire Ayinne, has described Ghana’s classroom deficit as a national emergency, warning that the situation threatens the country’s future development and competitiveness.
Speaking on Day Break Upper East on A1 Radio with Humul Khrusum Tahiru, Mr. Ayinne supported a recent statement by the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED), of which Afrikids Ghana is a member, calling for urgent action to address the shortage of classrooms across the country.
The NNED statement followed revelations from the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report that more than 10,000 basic schools across 13 regions lack classroom blocks, forcing millions of pupils to study under trees, sheds, churches and other temporary structures.
Mr. Ayinne said government must lead a nationwide effort to provide safe and conducive learning environments for children, arguing that education is the foundation for developing Ghana’s human resource capacity.
“Government is preparing the human resource that will develop this country. We should be investing in our children so they can compete with any child anywhere in the world. If we fail to prepare them well, they are only changing classes, they are not developing their minds,” he said.
NNED, in its statement issued on July 10, highlighted that the classroom crisis is particularly severe in northern Ghana, where many children continue to learn in environments exposed to rain, extreme heat, dust and other distractions.
Mr. Ayinne said the impact of inadequate learning spaces goes beyond infrastructure challenges and affects students’ ability to acquire meaningful knowledge and skills.
“When a child doesn’t get the right foundation, that child may progress from one class to another, but is not academically prepared for life. That is why we have people with certificates who cannot demonstrate competence,” he said.
While acknowledging that government bears the primary responsibility for addressing the challenge, Mr. Ayinne said the scale of the problem requires collaboration between the public sector, private sector and communities.
He proposed that government develop a comprehensive framework identifying schools with infrastructure deficits and introduce incentives to encourage private sector investment in classroom construction.
“Government should create the framework and provide incentives. Let companies, banks and individuals adopt schools. If you build a school, perhaps government can give you a tax holiday. That is how we can accelerate investment,” he said.
The NNED statement also called on government to publish a clear action plan outlining affected schools, construction timelines, budget allocations and monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability.
Mr. Ayinne maintained that education must be treated as Ghana’s most important long-term investment, stressing that the quality of learning environments will influence the country’s future development.
“If we want Ghana to compete globally, we cannot continue asking millions of children to learn under trees. The environment in which children learn determines the nation they will eventually build.”
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Seidu Mutawakil | Bolgatanga
