Impact of Formal Education on Learners' Development in Ghana

Abstract

Education is the required tool to approach development gainfully. The structure of formal education in Ghana triggered this study to find out the impact of formal education on learners’ development in Ghana. Primary and secondary data were used throughout the study. 32 respondents across the country were used in the questionnaire administration. Statistical and content analyses were used to describe the gathered information. Purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents from the 16 regions in Ghana. The following were the major findings; formal education in Ghana is typically artificial and knowledge-based, formal education in Ghana has failed in the upbringing of learners to realize societal goals and aims because learners are not socially trained, formal education in Ghana is not structured according to the societal needs hence societal problems are escalating rapidly, and subject that can train learners in moral and personality development is undermined by formal education in Ghana. Based on the findings, it was recommended that; formal education in Ghana should move away from a theory-based on practical based to secure jobs for learners’ development. Moreover, the content for formal education in Ghana should be restructured according to societal needs. Again, the programmes for formal education in Ghana should be created based on industrial needs so that learners could be the best fit or placed in industries that deal with their specifications or qualifications. Finally, formal education in Ghana should be reconsidered to constitute moral development to curb societal problems such as arm robbery, gambling, and smoking.