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Education in Ghana

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The education system of Ghana is regulated and organized by its Ministry of Education. The system is divided into different levels: Primary school, Junior Secondary School, Senior Secondary School, and Higher Education. Each level has its own function, curriculum and composition.

Basic Education in Ghana is composed of 9 years. Primary school is the first level of basic education which lasts for 6 years. In Ghana, it is called “Primary 1” up to “Primary 6.” Afterwards, students enter the Junior Secondary School level for 3 years. They call it “JSS 1” to “JSS 3.” Most Junior Secondary Schools are privately owned as the government-owned JSS institutions lack facilities and other educational tools. The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is taken by students who wish to enter Senior Secondary School upon accomplishing the Basic Education program. The examination’s scope is everything that they have learned during those 9 years. It is composed of 10 subjects namely: Mathematics, General Science, Agricultural Science, English, any Ghanaian language, French, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, Pre-vocational education and Pre-technical education.

Upon passing the BECE, students can now enter the Senior Secondary School (SSS) level. SSS is composed of 3 years (SSS 1 to SSS 3) and has a different curriculum from the Basic Education program. Students in SSS take Science with 3 years of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Mathematics is composed of 3 years of Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Trigonometry. English is composed of 3 years of Reading Comprehension, Composition Writing, and Literature. Social Studies is composed of 3 years of Economics, History and Government. Physical Education is to be taken at least 1 year. Students can also take electives such as Business, General Arts, and Agriculture.