Schools in the Northern Region are grappling with shortages of furniture, textbooks and other teaching materials, alongside infrastructure deficits and gaps in educational administration, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has been told.
The challenges were highlighted during a monitoring visit by the Committee to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC) on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to assess the state of education delivery in the region.
The Committee’s Vice-Chairman and Kintampo North MP, Kumah Kwame Joseph, said the exercise was aimed at identifying gaps in the education sector and gathering evidence to guide parliamentary oversight, budgetary decisions and policy interventions.
He stressed the need for government to align budgetary allocations with the actual needs of schools, particularly in infrastructure, teacher distribution and the supply of essential teaching and learning materials.
Mr Kumah said the Committee would document its findings and present them to the Speaker of Parliament for consideration and the necessary action.
He cited Standing Order 250 of Parliament as part of the basis for the Committee’s oversight responsibilities, explaining that direct engagement with education authorities would help establish the successes, challenges and priority needs of institutions under its jurisdiction.
The Northern Regional Director of Education, Alidu Alhassan Junior, also identified the lack of Ghana Education Service (GES) offices in some districts as a major administrative challenge affecting the coordination and supervision of schools.
He said establishing offices in the affected districts would strengthen administrative support, improve supervision and facilitate the implementation of education policies and programmes.
Mr Alhassan Junior acknowledged government interventions, including the provision of desktop computers and measures to support school feeding, but indicated that significant challenges remained.
He also raised concerns about drug abuse and other forms of deviant behaviour among students, calling for stronger guidance and counselling, improved school discipline and greater collaboration among parents, school authorities and other stakeholders.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John, the Acting Chief Director of the NRCC, Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, described the visit as timely.
He said the engagement would give the Committee first-hand insight into the challenges confronting schools and help ensure that recommendations reflected conditions on the ground.
Mr Abudu called for sustained collaboration among Parliament, the NRCC and education authorities to address the region’s educational needs.
The monitoring exercise is expected to inform the Committee’s assessment of the sector and recommendations for improving education delivery in the Northern Region.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
