The Campaigns and Advocacy Manager of Afrikids Ghana, Raymond Akolbire Ayinne, has warned that the shortage of classrooms in thousands of Ghanaian basic schools is not only affecting learning outcomes but is also gradually weakening children’s confidence in the value of education.
Speaking on Day Break Upper East on A1 Radio, Mr. Ayinne said inadequate school infrastructure contributes to low literacy levels, poor academic performance and reduced motivation among both pupils and teachers.
His comments follow concerns raised by the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED), of which Afrikids Ghana is a member, after the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report revealed that 10,730 basic schools across 13 regions lack classroom blocks.
Mr. Ayinne questioned the quality of learning taking place in many deprived schools, particularly those where pupils study under trees, sheds, churches and other temporary structures.
“You take a child in Primary Six and give that child a Primary One reading passage, and the child struggles to read. We must ask ourselves what happened from kindergarten through Primary Six,” he said.
The Campaigns and Advocacy Manager explained that the learning environment plays a major role in shaping educational outcomes, adding that poor infrastructure affects both students and teachers.
“The low academic performance can partly be attributed to children learning under conditions that are simply not conducive. Teacher motivation is also affected because teachers are human beings. They cannot continue working enthusiastically in such depressing environments,” he said.
Mr. Ayinne also recounted an encounter with an elderly woman in a mining community who questioned whether formal education still offered children a reliable path to a better future.
According to him, the woman asked what guarantee existed that a child who attended school would complete their education and secure better opportunities than those available within the community.
“I couldn’t answer because the school had no classrooms, no teachers and no evidence that education was changing lives,” he said.
He said such situations weaken public confidence in education and could encourage some children to abandon school in favour of economic activities such as illegal mining and commercial motorcycle riding.
“When children cannot see hope in education, they stop seeing school as an investment,” Mr. Ayinne stated.
NNED has called on government to publish a comprehensive action plan outlining affected schools, construction timelines, funding commitments and monitoring mechanisms to address the classroom shortage.
Mr. Ayinne said addressing the crisis requires more than increasing school enrolment, stressing the need to create learning environments that inspire confidence among children, parents and teachers.
“We must create an environment that gives children hope. Otherwise, we are simply promoting children from one class to another without preparing them for life,” he said.
He warned that without urgent investment in education infrastructure, Ghana’s efforts to achieve equitable and quality education for all children will remain a major challenge.
