Educational policies on access and reduction of poverty: The case of Ghana

Abstract

Education breaks the circle of poverty, halts the spread of inequality and creates sustainable development. However, education is expensive, creating insurmountable barriers to access in Africa. UN Millennium Development Goal 2 requested countries adopt universal primary education by 2015 in order to reduce poverty. This study assesses how policies on access to education influenced poverty reduction in Ghana. At a higher level of education, the chances of a person being non-poor increase, and being a public servant provides an advantage in retaining a position above the poverty line compared to the people employed in agriculture. This research validates the need for Ghana to emphasize access to both primary and secondary education by providing infrastructure, free education, and training for teachers at the various level of education.