Preparing and implementing education policy initiatives in Ghana: the role of district and community-based education structures

This paper reports on a study that explored the roles of district and community-based education structures (DCES) in preparing, implementing, and communicating education policy initiatives at the district and school levels. A descriptive multiple-case survey design involving three purposefully selected districts was employed. The study used a multi-stage sampling technique involving simple random and purposive sampling to select 257 DCES members from 27 schools in 9 circuits within the districts. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed in response to three research questions. The results revealed that DCES members implemented several policy initiatives at the local level, including school feeding, capitation grants, free uniforms and furniture. The study also found that DCES members played critical roles in supporting the design and execution of education policy initiatives and employing various avenues to communicate these policy initiatives to the larger community. However, DCES members seemed to only focus on traditional means of preparing, implementing, and communicating policy initiatives. The study therefore recommends that DCES members should be empowered to employ innovative ways to support the preparation, implementation, and communication of education policy initiatives.