The Determinants of School Attendance and Attainment in Ghana: A Gender Perspective
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Date
2007-12-03
Authors
. Sackey, Harry A
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Economic Research consortium
Abstract
This study examines the determinants of school attendance and attainment in Ghana
with a view to deriving implications for policy direction. Using micro-level data from the
Ghana living standards surveys, our gender disaggregated probit models on current school
attendance and attainment show that parental education and household resources are
significant determinants of schooling. The effect of household resources on current school
attendance is higher for daughters than it is for sons. It appears that for male and female
children the impact of household resources on school attendance has reduced, statistically
speaking. Father’s schooling effects on the education of female children decreased
between 1992 and 1999. Mother’s schooling effects on school attendance of daughters
in 1992 were not significantly different from those realized in 1999. However, the effects
of mother’s schooling levels on school attendance of male children appear to have reduced.
Other significant determinants of children’s schooling are the age of children, school
infrastructure, religion and urban residency. The paper concludes that education matters
and has an intergenerational impact. Arguably, sustainable poverty reduction approaches
cannot ignore the role of education and implications for employment, earnings and social
development. Hence, gender sensitive policies to ensure educational equity are vital.