Ghana’s education in the era of Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings: a historical review and analysis, 1982-2001

Abstract

This study examined the contribution of Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings to the development of education in Ghana. Specifically, the study focused on his introduction of the 1987 Education Reforms, and how the University Rationalisation Policy introduced by him affected tertiary education in Ghana. The study employed the appropriate historical and methodological approaches as its research design. It adopts the qualitative method and uses both primary and secondary sources of data to examine how education fared in Ghana under Rawlings. Interview guide was used to collect the primary data. Two persons were selected for the interview on the grounds of their knowledge about Rawlings. Again, they were present when Rawlings introduced the 1987 Education Reforms in Ghana. The study points out that Rawlings’ contribution to education did not only shorten the duration of education but also, it built a school system that reflected the Ghanaian realities and that made the educated child more productive in the society.