Ghana’s Education Sector Faces Pressure: Eduwatch Seeks 6% TVET Funding While Savannah College Staff Strike Over Unpaid Salaries

Introduction

Ghana’s education sector has come under intense scrutiny as dual challenges highlight both long-term strategic demands and immediate institutional crises. Policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has strongly advocated for the allocation of 6 percent of the 2027 national education budget specifically to pre-tertiary Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Simultaneously, the sector faces severe administrative strain, underscored by 170 academic and non-academic staff at the Savannah College of Education withdrawing their services indefinitely due to prolonged unpaid salaries.

The Push for Pre-Tertiary TVET Investment

Eduwatch’s latest policy proposal underscores the critical need to bridge the gap between formal schooling and practical, market-driven industrial skills in Ghana. By demanding a dedicated 6 percent slice of the 2027 budgetary allocation, the organization aims to accelerate infrastructure development, modernize workshop equipment, and improve instructional capacity across pre-tertiary technical institutions. Analysts note that strengthening foundational vocational training is vital for tackling youth unemployment and preparing the domestic workforce for a digitally transforming economy.

Staff Strike Paralyzes Savannah College of Education

While long-term reforms are being debated, immediate operational crises threaten institutional stability. At the Savannah College of Education, 170 workers have laid down their tools in protest against months of delayed compensation. The industrial action has brought academic and administrative activities to a standstill, leaving students stranded and exacerbating existing anxieties over worker welfare within state-funded educational bodies. Labor unions have called on the Controller and Accountant General’s Department alongside the Ministry of Education to urgently clear the arrears to restore normalcy.

Key Takeaways

• Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) is pushing for 6% of the 2027 education budget to be channeled into pre-tertiary TVET.
• A total of 170 staff members at the Savannah College of Education have withdrawn their services over unpaid salaries.
• The dual developments expose the stark contrast between Ghana’s long-term vocational goals and immediate institutional payroll challenges.
• Stakeholders continue to pressure government agencies to resolve systemic delays plaguing public sector compensation in education.