Influence and Challenges of the Capitation Grant on Education Delivery in Basic Schools in Ghana

In Ghana, some children do not attend school, because their parents are unable to afford levies and fees charged by schools. This led to the introduction of the Capitation Grant Scheme in 2005. This study investigates the influence of the Capitation Grant Scheme on education delivery in basic schools in Ghana, through a close study of the Ga West Municipality. It is a descriptive survey, involving teachers, head teachers and parents as the target population. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select participants, while questionnaire and documentary sources were used as instruments to gather information which was summarized statistically in percentages and analysed in themes. The main finding revealed that the introduction of the Capitation Grant Scheme was found to be very relevant and has led to an increase in enrolment in basic schools. However, the increase in enrolment brought about some challenges such as inadequate classrooms, furniture, textbooks, teaching and learning materials and a high pupil-teacher ratio. The researchers recommend an increase in the quantum of the grant per pupil and direct payment into the accounts of schools to reduce annual delays in disbursement.