This blog was written by Gideon Kwasi Animah, University of Bath. Gideon is a doctoral researcher in educational leadership focusing on equity and inclusive education policy and practice in Ghana’s public basic schools.
As countries pursue to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the emphasis has shifted from school access to enhancing learning outcomes, equity and leadership effectiveness. Whilst net enrolment has increased over the years, it has also placed a demand in large extent on the headteachers, without commensurate resources or authority. In such situations, leadership becomes a major differentiator between public basic schools that merely cope and those that improve learning outcomes.
In this context, there remains limited understanding of how effective school leadership practices are articulated in Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018–2030) particularly in under resourced public basic schools. This gap matters because school leadership is often ‘on paper’ rather than actively supported. Therefore, there lies a disconnection between strategic intent and learning outcomes.
Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018–2030) indicates how national education planning can be effectively integrated through school leadership into the education system. By identifying headteachers and school leaders as essential for improving teaching quality, equity, monitoring and accountability, the ESP outlines a pathway for translating the SDG4 targets into tangible improvements at the school level.
The critical role of school leadership in advancing SDG 4
The importance of school leadership in promoting SDG 4 is substantial and informed by increasing international research, which highlights its effects on student outcomes. While teachers have immense influence towards what students learn, school leaders create the environment within which effective teaching and learning take place. This is accomplished by providing instructional leadership, managing resources and a conducive environment within the school and community. Research shows that effective school leadership is the second most powerful influence on student outcomes and school improvement, after classroom teaching.
Consequently, school leadership is imperative, particularly in underprivileged communities. Effective school leaders inspire teachers, encourage collaboration and support improvement practices that directly contribute to quality, equity and relevance in. SDG 4 enhances quality education for all, equal opportunities to learn and measurable learning outcomes. Achieving these goals depends not only on curriculum and policy reforms, but also on strengthening schools’ capacity, with leadership playing a pivotal role.
For instance, in a rural public basic school, a headteacher’s decision to reallocate limited instructional hours toward early grade literacy while introducing other teaching concepts among teachers can significantly improve classroom practices, irrespective of the limited resources at their disposal. Such leadership practices demonstrate how school leaders operationalise national priorities within local constraints.
Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan: An emerging concept for school leadership
The ESP (2018-2030) is a blueprint for the education sector with a clear focus on improving access, quality, equity and leadership across all levels of schooling.
Approved by the Cabinet in 2018 and implemented concurrently with the Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan (ESMTDP 2018-2021), the ESP (2018-2030) revolves around the ambition to improve the quality of education for all in Ghana and is based on three policy objectives:
- Improved equitable access to and participation in inclusive education at all levels
- Improved quality of teaching and learning and STEM at all levels
- Sustainable and efficient management, financing and accountability of education service delivery.
While the ESP covers all levels from basic to tertiary education, its emphasis on leadership efficiency and effective school management is crucial for achieving these objectives. This issue is particularly important at the basic education level, where significant disparities in resources, teacher quality, and learning outcomes exist.
From school to community: Leadership as a lever for equity and quality
In Ghana, basic education shows clear disparities among regions and community settings. Rural and underserved areas are often engulfed with challenges, such as teacher shortages, inadequate infrastructure and poor learning outcomes – thereby creating a persistent issue in terms of equity. In these settings, school leadership can improve school performance by focusing on teaching quality, boosting teacher motivation and supervision, and promoting stakeholder and community involvement in students’ education. The Endline National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NASIA) Report (2025) attests to this narrative. Initiatives like the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), which aligns with the ESP objectives, focus on improving low-performing basic schools to enhance equity and quality. They provide targeted support to schools that have historically failed in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), aligning with SDG 4 goals to ensure that no one is left behind. Leadership practices that prioritise inclusion, support for learners with disabilities, stakeholders and community engagement are essential for making sure that educational improvements benefit marginalised children.
Implementing the ESP: from policy to practice
In practice, there are challenges in the implementation of the ESP due to weak connections between school-level capacity and policy expectations. Headteachers, mostly in rural public basic schools, are often tasked with instructional leadership responsibilities without adequate training and development. Consequently, school leadership reforms risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative. Current strategic approaches towards school leadership within the ESP do not highlight the influence of poverty, community expectations and bureaucratic constraints on decision-making, particularly in rural contexts. Leadership effectiveness is often framed as an individual capacity issue, rather one that is to be shaped by governance and political economy.
Although Ghana’s ESP encapsulates a strong strategic direction, its success relies on effective implementation. International research on school leadership reforms in African contexts depicts common challenges, such as sustained professional development, limited authority for school leaders and resource constraints. To address these challenges in Ghana, it is essential to focus on the following areas:
- Professional development: Continuous training and capacity building for headteachers and school leaders, particularly in school leadership practices, decision-making and inclusive practices, should be prioritised and woven into the education system.
- Supportive governance: School leaders need mandates and accountability systems that allow them to innovate and meet local demands.
- Resource alignment: Providing adequate resources (financial, human and material) is crucial to turn strategic plans into expected outcomes, especially in under-resourced areas. Despite these challenges, the ESP represents a committed effort to invest in school leadership as a major part of educational reform.
What Ghana’s experience offers globally
Ghana’s strategic steps toward school leadership within national planning offer valuable lessons for other countries working toward SDG 4. First, it emphasises the need for a pragmatic shift from access. It should also include how schools function. Second, it shows that leadership can connect policy objectives with classroom practices, hence helping systems adapt to complexities in education.
As Ghana gradually advances toward the deadline of SDG 4 by 2030, a critical question remains: can effective school leadership be meaningfully strengthened without structural constraints that limit headteachers and school leaders, especially in under-resourced communities? Addressing this question will determine whether school leadership remains a policy aspiration or becomes a strategic move for equity and quality in public basic education.
