Literacy and Numeracy Skills and Education Sector Reform: Evidence from Ghana

Autor/in	Blunch, Niels-Hugo
Titel	Literacy and Numeracy Skills and Education Sector Reform: Evidence from Ghana
Quelle	In: Education Economics, 22 (2014) 2, S.209-235 (27 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0964-5292
DOI	10.1080/09645292.2011.597954
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Literacy Education; Numeracy; Mathematics Education; Trend Analysis; Reading Skills; Mathematics Skills; Educational Change; African Languages; Productivity; Educational Quality; Elementary Education; Economic Impact; Economic Development; Human Capital; English; National Surveys; Secondary Education; Educational Attainment; Reading Tests; Mathematics Tests; Scores; Writing Skills; Multivariate Analysis; Ghana + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Rechenkompetenz; Mathematische Bildung; Trendanalyse; Reading skill; Lesefertigkeit; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Bildungsreform; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Produktivität; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Elementarunterricht; Ökonomische Determinanten; Wirtschaftsentwicklung; Humankapital; English language; Englisch; Sekundarbereich; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Lesetest; Writing skill; Schreibfertigkeit; Multivariate Analyse
Abstract	Several African countries instituted education reforms in the 1980s and 1990s. Yet, there is only little evidence on the effectiveness of these programs. Additionally, most previous studies of the determinants of literacy and numeracy have considered the proficiency in only one language and, possibly, numeracy. This paper examines both of these issues for the case of Ghana, analyzing the trends in and determinants of four different literacy skills and numeracy. A comparison of outcomes before and after the 1987 Education Sector Reform indicates that literacy and numeracy skills levels increased following the Reform, and more so for English literacy skills than for Ghanaian literacy skills, thus confirming prior expectations. The results from linear probability models of literacy and numeracy outcomes indicate that, consistent with the objective of the Reform, the productivity of primary education in terms of literacy and numeracy increased, while the productivity of other levels of education remained constant or decreased. Additionally, the results highlight the importance of school quality and other community level factors in the creation of literacy and numeracy and therefore also the importance of incorporating these factors in empirical analyses. The results indicate that the focus of the 1987 Education Sector Reform might have been too narrow, so that future education policy in Ghana may want to focus on strengthening the quality of education above the primary level, also. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10