EFFECTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAPITATION GRANT ON BASIC SCHOOLS’ ENROLMENT: A CASE STUDY IN WAPULI CIRCUIT, SABOBA DISTRICT

Abstract

The capitation grant scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Education Science and Sports (MOESS) in 2004 and scale - up nationwide in 2005 with ultimate objective of abolishing all school levies which are hitherto, a hindrance for most children who want to have access to basic education. The study provided an assessment of the effects of the implementation of capitation grant on basic schools’ enrolment in Ghana. It also provided an empirical platform for assessing how the capitation grant is contributing to the enrolment of pupils in the basic schools in Ghana especially in Wapuli circuit in Saboba District of the Northern Region. It used a survey to assess the opinion of district directorate of education, head teachers, teachers, circuit supervisor, and other stakeholders of education regarding the effects of the implementation of capitation grant policy on basic schools’ enrolment in the district. A survey of 36 respondents within selected schools captured questions on respondents’ demographics, capitation grant and pupils’ enrolment, capitation grant and its successes, capitation grant and its challenges and other stakeholders’ opinions. A purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting teachers from the schools under study, district directorate of education, circuit supervisor and other stakeholders for study. Despite the 2009 capitation grant policy review and successes chalked by capitation grant policy in educational sector, the research recommended that government in collaboration with other stakeholders should increase the capitation grant fund, review the policy in regular basis to ensure its effectiveness and to solve equity problem by adopting the vertical model of resources allocation to deployed the capitation grant to basic schools instead of horizontal model.