The Role of Private Education in Ghana's Primary School System

Abstract

This purpose of this study was to discover why students perform better at private than public schools in Ghana Participants included 26 adults of Ghanaian ethnicity including administrators, headmasters, and student guardians from private schools, and teachers from private and public schools. Interviews with all participants revealed important findings. The private school administrators exhibit open and democratic management styles, and exercise strict time management and innovative student discipline. Private school teachers value this democratic management as well as the school atmosphere of love, support, moral, and religious education. Although they are not trained teachers, they use very sophisticated teaching techniques. Finally, parents choose private over public schools regardless of school fees because of location, religion, school facilities, dedicated teachers, flexible management, students speaking English, and moral education.