Partnership for Success Chereponi Senior High School

Partnership for Success A case study of rapid turnaround in a Senior High School in Chereponi, northern G hana

June 2012

Camfed thanks the follow ing stafffor their invaluable contributions to this report: Stuart Johnson, Impact Manager, Camfed International SamuelLaate, IT O fficer/Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) O fficer, Camfed G hana D avid N krumah Boateng, M&E Manager, Camfed G hana Haw a Zakaria, M&E Intern, Camfed G hana Laurie Zivetz, Executive Advisor – Impact, Camfed International

It w as based on fieldw ork carried out in N ovember 2011, and w ritten by Stuart Johnson.

W e w ould like to extend specialthanks to the follow ing partners w hose invaluable support ofthe Camfed G hana programme has contributed to the remarkable success ofChereponiHigh School: The Ajahma Charitable Trust Credit Suisse The D epartment for InternationalD evelopment G oogle Inc. Charitable G iving Fund ofTides Foundation Linklaters The MasterCard Foundation The SkollFoundation The Sofronie Foundation

Introduction Like ruralschools in many African countries, ChereponiSenior High Schoolin northern G hana, w as failing more pupils than it w as passing, frustrating parents’ ambitions for a better education for their children. That w as before 2007. This case study recounts the story ofa remarkable turnaround that took the schoolfrom nearclosure and almost no pupils passing the nationalexam to a near 100 percent pass rate amongst a pupilbody that had quadrupled in size and w as enrolling equalnumbers ofgirls and boys.

This case study explores the factors that contributed to this extraordinary turnaround, and how investments in institutions are often as important as infusions ofresources.

Pupils at ChereponiSenior High School

The background Chereponi Chereponiis a district in a ruralpart ofnorth-east G hana, taking its name from the main tow n, w hich serves a scattered pattern ofsettlements around it. Agriculture is the main economic activity for more than four-fifths ofthe population, predominantly on a subsistence basis1. The population size w as estimated to be 63,000 at the 2000 Population and Housing Census, ofw hich ChereponiTow n accounted for approximately 10,000. Household sizes in 2000 averaged 7.9 persons, w hich w as w ell above the nationalaverage of5.0. ChereponiD istrict is relatively new , formed in 2008 out ofthe former Saboba-ChereponiD istrict. Alladministrative functions w ere located previously in Saboba, in the south ofthe district.

Before 2008, ChereponiSenior High Schoolhad been struggling for some time. Facilities in the school w ere poor – there w as not enough classroom furniture, a thinly stocked schoollibrary, few textbooks, no electricity or telephone netw ork and an overgrow n, untended schoolenvironment. There w ere very few teachers, not enough even for the core subjects. Even nationalservice teachers could not be attracted to the area, and permanent teachers w ere not motivated to stay and teach. At most tw o or three pupils passed their exams each year – and only in some ofthe subjects;most pupils did not pass anything. In a context ofdeep poverty, many parents in Chereponicould not afford to send their 1

G hanaD istricts.com, http://w w w .ghanadistricts.com/districts/?r=6&_=172&sa=6284, accessed 10 February 2012.

2

children to the senior high schooland most parents w ho could pay the fees chose not to send them to this school, opting to enrolthem at a schoolin another area or more commonly not to send them to Senior High Schoolat all. As a consequence, enrolment w as under 100 for a schoolthat could accommodate over 700. Female enrolment w as particularly poor.

Mobilising for change D istrict leaders recalla crisis moment in 2003. The schoolhad received a w arning from the G hana Education Service – the civilservice arm ofthe Ministry ofEducation, w hich oversees allschools in G hana – that it w ould be closed dow n unless it improved. As the only Senior High Schoolin the area, this w as a grave moment for the community and a decisive point in the history ofthe school. The Member ofParliament (MP) for the constituency, Hon. Issah Abah, jointly w ith the Chief, called the community together to discuss how they w ould respond. At the meeting, a consensus w as reached that the community must retain the schooland each person represented w ould contribute w hat she or he could to achieve this.

The enrolment ofpupils w as at the top ofthe list and parents w ere asked to commit to sending their children to the school. To support this, Hon. Issah Abah promised to cover the schoolfees for an entire year using the MPs’ Common Fund – a fund controlled by each constituency MP to fund projects in their localarea. Each ofthe traditionalleaders present agreed to contribute grain, w hich w ould be sold for the rehabilitation ofthe school. In addition, it w as agreed that the w ider community w ould help to clear the schoolgrounds ofw eeds. The next year enrolment at the schoolincreased, but only a little, since most parents stilldid not consider it w orth the time and expense ofsending their children to a failing school.

Hon. Issah Abah The school’s low enrolment w as exacerbated by the scattered settlement pattern in the area, w hich meant a long, daily commute for many pupils. In response, the schoolfirst provided hostelfacilities in 2004, co-funded by the MPs’ Common Fund and by a non-governmentalorganisation (N G O ). But because the hostelw as not a government-approved boarding facility, pupils had to provide and cook food for themselves. This created severalproblems. Students left schoolat any time, missing classes in order to collect food or make money to buy food. D epending on w here the child’s family lived, the pupilcould be absent for severaldays. Pupils w ould also have to spend long hours preparing and cooking food, leaving little time for homew ork and extra-curricular activities. Monitoring students’ w hereabouts w as virtually impossible and much ofthe schooltimetable w as ignored. To add to this,

3

former pupils recounted how some girls w ould get into relationships in order to secure access to food, so that it w as not uncommon for girls to get pregnant.

In D ecember 2004, a year after the community rallied to save the school, Hon. Issah Abah, having served as an MP since 2000, returned to Chereponito teach science and maths across forms one to three. W hen Issah Abah started teaching at the schoolthere w ere just ten teachers, not enough to cover even the core subjects. O ne ofthe teachers at the schoolw ho joined in the same year described the situation at the schoolas follow s,

‘N o boarding status, no electricity, no phone netw orks, no mattresses, only bed frames, few teachers, no books in the library, poor pass rates, nationalservice persons did not feel attracted to the schooland permanent teachers w ere not motivated to stay and teach. In summary, our need w as so great.’

Issah Abah himselfrecalled how it w as virtually impossible to teach effectively in these circumstances,

‘Inoticed the schoollibrary w as poorly stocked, especially for science and maths. Ihad my ow n textbooks, but it took time to make notes out ofthese. Iw ould w rite on the chalkboard for the children to copy. The parents w ouldn’t offer to buy textbooks or learning materials.

Even ifIprinted out notes, they w ould have to be paid for by the parents. This situation affected the numberofcontact hours Ihad w ith the students. Achieving complete coverage ofthe syllabus w as a realchallenge. You don’t expect very good performance.’

N onetheless, w ith a qualified teacher in science and maths now in place at ChereponiSenior High School, some pupils passed science for the first time.

In 2006, a new Head Master w as appointed. W hen the new Head Master arrived, there w ere just 140 pupils across the three grades and very few girls. The number ofcompletions and exam passes remained low .

O ne important reason the schoolcontinued to struggle w as that, although there w as a hostel, the schoolstilllacked boarding status. D uring the new Head Master’s first year at the school, he and Issah Abah (now the head science and maths teacher) travelled to Accra to raise the issue w ith the G hana Education Service. This did not lead to any change in the short-term, but it put a process in motion that w as successfullonger-term . In the meantime, the schoolleadership continued to explore opportunities for improving the accommodation facilities for pupils at the school.

Bringing together stakeholders:the start ofCamfed’s partnership w ith Chereponi This w as the context in 2007 w hen Camfed first began w ork in Chereponi. Partnering w ith the ChereponiD istrict w as part ofa w ider strategy to w ork in a numberofnew ly created districts, w hich w ere know n to face unique and serious challenges in their education systems. Ernest Asoi, the Head Master ofa Junior High Schoolw ho w ould later help the drive to transform the education sector in Chereponi, remembers the first visit w ell: ‘[The N ationalD irectorofCamfed G hana]arrived in a hire car, not a Camfed car … She came to

make herselfknow n to the people and to understand the issues very w ell. She came across as very ordinary.’

Camfed started, as it alw ays does, by establishing a D istrict Education Committee (D EC). This committee, in w hich allthe main stakeholders in the community are represented, administers Camfed’s programmes at district level. How ever, the committee quickly became a channelfor broader community development, as Ernest Asoiexplained,

‘The D EC brings allthe stakeholders together. The D EC facilitates everything. W e involve all stakeholders in everything. Before the D EC w as set up, the stakeholders w ere allalone.

4

N othing like the D EC existed before… There is a focus on integrated development, the standard ofliving for families. It is making people feelw e are moving tow ards one goal.

Stakeholders have come together and the duplication ofresources has been removed… Ifind it very great being on the D EC. I’ve made a difference.’

The ChereponiD istrict Education Committee w as comprised ofthe head ofa Junior High School, and representatives ofkey localgovernment agencies. These included the district officer ofthe G irls’ Education U nit (a division ofthe G hana Education Service), the G hana Education Service’s Preschool Coordinator, the G hana Education Service’s Basic SchoolCoordinator, the D istrict Assembly’s G ender O fficer, the Community D evelopment O fficer, and a traditionalleader.

Ernest Asoi, D istrict Education Committee Member

Early on, the committee carried out a w orkshop on gender issues and the rights ofgirls, attended by parents, children, the G hana Education Service, the D istrict Assembly, the police, healthcare professionals and socialw elfare officers. In time, the committee established itselfas a trusted group that children, parents and even teachers approached w ith socialw elfare issues, acting as an intermediary ifrequired.

Chereponi:a new district W ith the establishment ofChereponias a district in 2008, the D istrict Education Committee became the driverofchange, supporting some remarkable leaders that put education high on the politicaland administrative agenda and paving the w ay for a transformation at ChereponiSenior High School. O ne ofthe first actions ofthe new D istrict Assembly w as to set its ow n development agenda, acknow ledging the importance ofeducation.

The separation ofSaboba and Chereponidistricts signalled an acceleration in development in Chereponi. The district w as connected to the nationalelectricity grid, the area received coverage by tw o mobile telephone netw orks, w ater boreholes w ere drilled in the tow n and villages, and a polyclinic w ith an attending doctor w as established for the first time in the tow n. The G hana Education Service also established a new administrative centre in Chereponi, resulting in more teacher recruitment and placement in Chereponi. Teacher recruitment and retention w as made considerably easier by the overalldevelopment, w hich immediately made the tow n a more attractive place to live.

5

In 2008, the President ofG hana appointed Hon. Issah Abah to become the D istrict ChiefExecutive of the new ly formed ChereponiD istrict and so he left his position as teacher at the school.

W ith Hon. Issah Abah’s ow n background in education and w ith the activism oflocalstakeholders embodied in the D istrict Education Committee, the education system w as placed at the top ofthe agenda for development in the district. In 2008, the D istrict Assembly undertook a review ofthe education system and identified a number ofinitiatives, including the construction ofclassroom blocks and boosting teacher numbers.

W ith this D istrict-levelcommitment in place, the strong relationship that D istrict Education Committee members enjoyed w ith the D istrict Assembly put it in a strong position to drive some remarkable changes in the district and in ChereponiSenior High Schoolin particular. The D istrict ChiefExecutive described the contribution ofCamfed to the education system in Chereponias follow s,

‘The government alone cannot meet the educationaldemands… The development w ould have come, but the intervention ofCamfed hastened the transition.’

Building a platform for turnaround at the school:the bursary programme The second key intervention Camfed w as able to make – after the establishment ofthe D istrict Education Committee – w as its bursary programme. This flagship investment is a comprehensive support package that enables the most vulnerable girls to attend school. Across Camfed, D istrict Education Committees are responsible for managing these bursaries. G irls are identified through a transparent process at the community, schooland district level. O nce on the bursary programme, their schoolfees are guaranteed, including exam fees in the finalyear. Each bursary recipient is provided w ith a schooluniform, footw ear, a schoolbag, a calculator, a maths set, notebooks, exercise books, pens, soap and sanitary w ear.

In the first year, Camfed provided bursaries to 52 girls, representing some 60% ofgirls enrolled in the school. This opened up the opportunity formany girls to enrolin the school. It also removed the risk ofdropping out for girls already enrolled in the schoolfor reasons offinance. Parents recall:

‘Paying the schoolfees and for logistics – uniforms, books, footw ear, and so on - in the past, the cost ofthese w ould likely have meant my child dropping out – because ofpoverty, w e could not afford them. So this is definitely a realchange.’

Father ofa Form 4 girlreceiving a Camfed bursary

‘O ne ofmy daughters came here before – she left in 2004 – but w ithout completing. Paying the fees w as difficult for the family… So the improvement at the schoolfor me has been the availability ofthe Camfed bursaries, w hereas in the past Ihad to take out a loan to pay the schoolfees.’ Mother ofa Form 2 girlreceiving a Camfed bursary

6

Tw o Camfed bursary recipients These bursaries contributed to a huge improvement in schoolenrolment, w hich in turn effectively ended the threat ofschoolclosure. Ernest Asoi, Secretary ofthe D istrict Education Committee in its first tw o years, described the effect ofCamfed’s initialinput to the schoolas follow s,

‘The next year enrolment at the schoolincreased. G irls now had access. They could not pay the fees before. This increased the schoolpopulation. Then the government’s idea to close the schoolw as ended. Then the schoolstarted to have some exam passes – from a base ofzero.’

Camfed’s investment in the bursary programme for girls at ChereponiSenior High Schoolhas increased each year, reaching 199 in the 2011/12 academic year (see Figure 1). Each year it has accounted for at least 50% ofgirls enrolled in the school. To date, as many as 257 girls at Chereponi Senior High Schoolhave benefitted in this w ay.

Figure 1: 1 The numberofCamfed bursary girls at ChereponiSenior High School, by academic year and by grade 250

90 196

199

80 70

150

60 126

50

100

40 69

30

52

50

Bursaries as % of all girls enrolled

Number of bursaries

200

100 SHS4 SHS3 SHS2 SHS1 Bursaries as % of all girls enrolled

20 10

0

0 2007/2008

N ote:

2008/2009

2009/2010

2010/2011

2011/2012

The ratio ofbursary recipients to the totalnumber ofgirls enrolled in the schoolhas been estimated for 2011/12 because the finalnumber enrolled in SHS G rade 1 w as not available w hen data w ere collected from the school.

To address the time pupils w ere spending searching for food, early bursary packages also included dry food rations – a bag ofmaize, some sugar and some rice. According to one ofthe teachers at the time, 7

the Camfed-supported girls w ould share the food w ith a brother or a friend, and so the benefit extended w ider than the bursary recipients themselves. Informants noted that these entitlements reduced the girls’ exposure to exploitative relationships, sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy.

The impact extended even beyond the immediate increases in enrolment and reduced drop out. As the number ofenrolments grew , a statutory threshold w as passed beyond w hich the state authorities became obligated to provide additionalinvestments in the school.

Tw oo - storey accommodation block

The next significant breakthrough for the schoolcame in early 2010 w hen the schoolfinally attained boarding status. This meant that each pupilat the schoolw ould be provided w ith cooked meals at the schoolfree ofcharge. This made an enormous difference for pupils already at the school, but it also meant a step-change in the attractiveness ofthe schoolto prospective pupils and their parents, w ith a consequent effect on enrolments. According to the Head Master ofa localJunior High School,

‘Since ChereponiSenior High Schoolinstalled the boarding facility tw o years ago, almost all our pupils now select to go there.’

Beyond bursaries As show n in Table 1, a range ofother inputs have been provided to build the leadership capacity in support ofthe schooland also to enhance the school’s capacity to deliver a robust curriculum, particularly in the areas ofscience and maths, w hich are nationalpriorities in G hana. Members ofthe SchoolManagement Team – including the Board ofG overnors and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) – have been provided w ith management training to enable them to manage bursary and other school resources – training w hich Camfed provides to allits partner schools.

8

1 A summary ofCamfed’s investments made in ChereponiSenior High School Table 1: Investment type

D etails

Bursaries

257 girls have received bursary support from Camfed to date.

Allschoolfees, including exam fees, are paid. The girls also receive a schooluniform, footw ear, a bag, a calculator, a maths set, notebooks, exercise books, pens, soap and sanitary w ear.

Before the schoolgained boarding status, the girls also received dry food rations.

School Management Training

Capacity building training has been provided for the SchoolBoard ofG overnors and the Parent Teacher Association.

Educational materials

Text books for the schoollibrary

Mobile Science Laboratory

Items for chemistry such as chemicals (sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, ammonia etc.), beakers, measuring cylinders, a funnel, balances, volumetric flasks, test tubes, litmus paper, U niversalIndicator Solution, a Bunsen burner, a pipette, a burette, a thermometer, a tripod stand and a science w allchart.

Training for the Teacher Mentor

Items for physics such as a stop w atch, a hydrometer, a micrometre, a meter rule, callipers, a bar magnet, a mirror, a voltmeter, an ammeter, a rheostat, copper w ire, and lenses.

Furniture:a trolley for the mobile science laboratory w ith 12 stools to sit around it.

Science, Maths and Technology Camps

Bursary girls from ChereponiSenior High Sschoolhave attended Camfed’s Science, Maths and Technology Camps each ofthe past four years. The objectives ofthe camps are to provide practicallearning experience in a fun environment in the area ofscience, mathematics and technology and to offer the opportunity for interactive engagement w ith mentors in the spheres ofscience related professions and other managerial enterprises.

In 2011, 20 ofthe 120 camp participants w ere from ChereponiSenior High School.

In 2010, 20 ofthe 100 camp participants w ere from ChereponiSenior High School.

In 2009, 30 ofthe 200 camp participants w ere from ChereponiSenior High School.

In 2008, 9 ofthe 156 camp participants w ere from ChereponiSenior High School.

Supplies and equipment for the Home Economics subject area

Items such as a gas cooker, a gas cylinder and regulator, a refrigerator and deep freezer, 6 metalserving trays and 6 plastic trays.

Supplies and equipment for AgriculturalStudies

Items such as shovels, spades, mattocks, trow els, hand forks, garden forks, pick axes, rakes, secateurs, punning shears, punning knives, w atering cans, knapsack sprayers and measuring tapes

ICT Centre

16 desktop computers, uninterruptable pow er suppliers, an LCD projector Furniture:6 long tables, w ith accompanying chairs Training has been provided to tw o ICT teachers

Renovation ofa building in order to house girls

A storm caused damage to the roofofthe girls’ accommodation block in 2010. Camfed paid for a disused classroom to be renovated to house the girls untilthe accommodation block w as repaired.

9

O ver time, Camfed received grant support for many ofthe items listed in Table 1, w hich has dramatically improved the learning environment. Issah Abah, w ho w as stillthe science and maths teacher at the schoolw hen the first textbooks arrived, recalls: ‘Camfed provided learning materials in the core subjects – science, maths, socialstudies and

English… This transformed the children’s performance in the subject.’

The schoolhas also received a large volume ofsupplies and equipment for a mobile science laboratory, w hich has transformed the school’s ability to teach this subject. Many ofthese items are listed in Table 1.

Camfed runs regular Science, Maths and Technology Camps during the summer vacations to encourage more girls to enter these academic streams. As many as 79 girls from ChereponiSenior High Schoolhave attended these camps over the past four years. G rant funding for the provisioning of and teacher training for an ICT centre at ChereponiSenior High Schoolhas set the schoolapart in terms ofw hat it can offer, especially in this remote part ofthe country. Camfed has also provided equipment to make the teaching ofhome economics and agriculture more practicaland hands-on (see Table 1).

Science, Maths, and Technology camp

Investments in the schoolmade by Camfed w ere matched by a range ofimportant localinvestments.

O ther organisations have provided schoolfurniture, drilled a w ater borehole for use by the schooland formed a district-w ide Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) N etw ork;the SchoolBoard and the PTA have negotiated w ith landlords in the tow n for accommodation for teaching staff;the former MP (D oris Seidu Asibi) used the G hana Education Trust Fund2 for the construction ofa single-storey accommodation block, a schoolbus and schoolfurniture;the D istrict ChiefExecutive in his personal capacity has contributed computers and printers to the ICT Centre;the G hana Education Service has funded the construction ofclassroom blocks;and, at the time the interview s w ere carried out for this

2

The G hana Education Trust Fund, or G ET Fund, w as established in August 2000 for the improvement ofeducational infrastructure across allsectors ofpublic education in G hana.

10

study, the D istrict Assembly w as constructing an administration block and the incumbent MP w as funding a pupilaccommodation block.

Evidence oftransformation In the w ake ofthese investments – the bursaries, schoolbuildings and others – significant progress w as made in severalkey areas: 1. Staffing The number and capacity ofthe teaching staffimproved. O ver the period 2005/6 to 2010/11, the number ofteachers at the schoolrose from 11 to 30, w hich included a tripling in the number of trained teachers from as few as 4 in 2005/6 to 13 in 2010/11, as the schoolbecame a more attractive place in w hich to w ork.

2. Enrolment The demand for places rose hugely. By 2010/11, pupilnumbers at ChereponiSenior High Schoolhad reached 755 (see Figure 2), w hich represented an increase of250% on the enrolment since the year in w hich Camfed first invested in the school(2007/8) and an increase ofmore than 400% since the threat ofschoolclosure w as first announced (2003/4). The schoolw as, in fact, over-subscribed for entry in Form 1, w hich w ould have been unthinkable only three years earlier. In terms ofthe enrolment of female pupils, the G ender Parity Index – numbers ofgirls to boys – for the schoolincreased dramatically from as low as 0.41 in 2007/8 to 0.85 in 2010/11. Focusing on the intake in Form 1, there w as gender parity (equalnumbers ofboys and girls) in both 2009/10 and 2010/11. Based on this trajectory, the schoolw illhave equalnumbers ofboys and girls enrolled across allforms by 2013/14 – a remarkable accolade for the schoolin a five year period.3

Figure 2: 2 Totalenrolments and Camfed bursaries in ChereponiSenior High School, by academic year 800 Total Enrolments

755

750 700 650 600

Number of students

550

502

500 450 +439%

391

400 350

298

300 250

200

196

200 150 100

126

140 52

50

Camfed Bursaries

69

0 2003/4

2004/5

2005/6

2006/7

2007/8

2008/9

2009/10

2010/11

Academic Year

3

Indeed teacher recruitment has not kept pace w ith enrolment. The pupil:teacher ratio – including alltypes ofteachers, trained, untrained and voluntary service persons – rose from 15:1 in 2007/8 to 25:1 in 2010/11. Focusing on trained teachers, the pupil:teacher ratio rose from 27:1 in 2007/8 to 58:1 in 2010/11.

11

3. Education quality ChereponiSenior High Schoolhas also made considerable progress in the quality ofeducation that it delivers. This is reflected most clearly in the improved exam scores. Exam data w ere not available from before 2008/9, but reportedly at most tw o or three pupils passed the W est African Senior School Certificate Examination (W ASSCE) exams and only in some subjects. By 2008/9, there w ere exam passes in every subject sat by pupils, w ith the exception ofchemistry (see Figure 3). The highest pass rates w ere in Islamic Religious Studies at 56% and SocialStudies at 44% , but some subjects stillhad a long w ay to go (Maths Core w as at 17% , English Core at 10% , Integrated Science at 10% and Horticulture at just 4% ). The pass rates at the highergrades w ere considerably low er.

Figure 3: 3 Exam pass rates at any grade (percentages ofregistered candidates) by subject, 2008/9 and 2010/11 Chemistry

0 25

Government

66 10

Integrated Science

70 35

Economics

72 17

Maths Core

77 10

English Core

83 44

Social Studies

83

Maths Elective

97 19

Geography

98 56

Islamic Religious Studies Horticulture General Agriculture

Pass Rate 2008/09 Pass Rate 2010/11

19

98 4 100 32 100

In 2010/11, the cohort ofpupils w ho enrolled in the year w hen Camfed first invested in the school delivered the best exam results the schoolhad ever achieved. Some girls achieved grades sufficient for going to university. In five subjects (G eneralAgriculture, Horticulture, Islamic Religious Studies, G eography and Maths Elective) the pass rate w as at or very close to 100% . In the same subjects, at least halfofpupils achieved grades ofA-C – the grades required for university entry4. There is room for improvement in terms ofincreasing the pass rate for some subjects and raising the proportion achieving the higher grades across allsubjects, and at a community durbar – a reception to celebrate the school’s achievements – in May 2012, improving education quality w as the main focus of discussions. How ever, it is hard to overstate the impressive pace and scale ofthe improvement in performance that these exam results represent.

4

The grading system in W ASSCE examinations is from A1 to F9 (A1, B2, B3, C4, C5, C6, D 7, E8, F9), so that A1 can be interpreted as excellent and F9 is a fail. G rades ofC6 or better in six subjects including Maths, English and Science are sufficient to qualify pupils for entry into a university, polytechnic or college.

12

Conclusions This case study has recounted the story ofa transition from a time ofdespair to one ofoptimism. So w hat explains this dramatic turnaround? At its heart, the turnaround is the product ofthe convergence ofa numberofimportant factors:the w ider development ofthe localarea, energetic localleadership, the creation and building ofinstitutions and strategic investments in the school. It has been achieved by and for the community ofChereponi, in a strong partnership w ith Camfed. O ne leading member ofthe community and Head Master ofa nearby Junior High School, Agyare Samuel, provided the follow ing reflection:

‘This has been a concerted effort. Camfed has w orked w ellw ith the D istrict Assembly, w ith parents and w ith the school, w hich has supported the programmes. The D EC has been a catalyst for change;it did w ellin organising and supporting activities.’

There w as a time, just under a decade ago, w hen the opportunity for secondary education w ithin the district seemed to be evaporating. Through strong leadership, the community invested considerable effort and expense in response to the government’s threat to close the school. After this, positive steps w ere taken through the new schoolHead Master and a new science and maths teacher, although fundamentalchallenges remained.

An important factor in the school’s turnaround is the role that teachers have played. As the schoolhas enlarged and improved its performance, and as the district has experienced w ider developments, the schoolhas been able to recruit and retain increasing numbers ofteachers, particularly professionally qualified teachers, w ho have been integralto the improvements in exam scores. The school, like the district as a w hole, has become a more attractive place in w hich to live and w ork. There are still challenges in this area, particularly the lack ofaccommodation for teachers, so that the school’s recruitment ofteachers has struggled to keep pace w ith the grow th in pupilnumbers. N onetheless, the situation is much improved compared to just five years ago and the energies ofthe school leadership, w ith the support that exists in the D istrict Assembly, the G hana Education Service and the D istrict Education Committee, give hope that a solution w illbe found.

Camfed’s arrivalin Chereponiconverged w ith the time w hen the district first came into being and some major infrastructuralimprovements w ere installed.

The evidence collected for this case study suggests that tw o ofCamfed’s major initiatives in the district laid the foundations on w hich the dramatic increases in enrolment and improvements in performance have been built. First, w ith Camfed’s instigation and strong support, community stakeholders in Chereponiformed the D istrict Education Committee, an important institution that focused energies for change. The committee has become a catalyst for the improvement ofthe education system in the district, w orking hand-in-hand w ith the D istrict Assembly and the G hana Education Service. It has mobilised politicalcapitalon the one hand and w orked at the grassroots on the other to harness resources for education, particularly for girls, and to motivate pupils to take advantage ofthe opportunities that have opened up for them.

The second major initiative by Camfed is its comprehensive bursary programme. Providing these bursaries has removed the financialobstacle to enrolment in Senior High Schoolfor many poor and vulnerable girls, thus making a significant difference for them, their families and also the next generation. The bursary programme has also been highly significant for the schoolas a w hole as it took enrolment over a statutory threshold that finally removed the government’s threat to close the school. It also resulted in increased investments from the government, chiefamong w hich w as the addition ofboarding status.

W ith these foundations in place, the schoolhas moved from strength to strength. Investments made since this time by the schoolitself, the D istrict Assembly and the G hana Education Service amongst others have produced improvements to w hat the school, through the leadership ofthe head master, is able to offer its pupils. Camfed has also been an enabler in this w ay, providing significant investments in educationalresources, particularly forscience and ICT. 13

ChereponiSenior High Schoolhas been a case study in w hat can be achieved through genuine partnership w ith a schooland a localcommunity. Through a large investment in community-led institutions, by harnessing a positive politicalenvironment and w ith a relatively modest financial investment, this district now has a Senior High Schoolthat generations ofpupils w illbenefit from.

14