Digital Inequality in Basic Schools Threatens Fairness in 2025 BECE - Eduwatch Sounds Alarm

Jun 10, 2025 - 16:12

Accra, Ghana - 10 June, 2025 - As Ghana prepares for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has raised concerns about the stark digital divide in the country's basic schools.

With over 600,000 candidates set to take the exam, Eduwatch, in a ststement, has warned that thousands of students, particularly from deprived districts, will be at a disadvantage due to lack of access to computers and digital literacy.

According to Eduwatch's monitoring, only 2% of schools in deprived districts have functional computers, with many students relying on blackboard instruction to learn computing skills. This has created a situation where students from well-equipped schools with hands-on experience using computers will be taking the same exam as those from deprived schools who lack such opportunities.

“Two unequal groups will take the same exam: candidates from well-equipped schools with hands-on experience using computers, and those from deprived schools who learned computing through blackboard instruction,” the education policy think tank noted.

The digital divide is particularly pronounced in the five northern regions, Oti, and Western North, where over 2 million children suffer critical deficits in ICT infrastructure. Data from the Ghana Statistical Service reveals that 72% of children aged 6-14 in the Savannah Region have never used an ICT device, with similarly high rates of digital illiteracy in the North-East (67%), Northern (65%), Upper East, and Bono East (56%) regions.

Eduwatch has stressed that no child should be academically disadvantaged due to their location or school resources. The organisation is calling on the government to roll out a targeted intervention to provide ICT infrastructure, electricity, and trained personnel in deprived schools, ensuring inclusive access to digital learning.

The 2025 BECE is scheduled to take place from June 11 to June 18, with 603,328 candidates, comprising 297,250 males and 306,078 females, expected to participate.

While the Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that it is fully prepared for a smooth and credible examination process, Eduwatch's concerns highlight the need for urgent action to address the digital divide and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Read the statement from Eduwatch below;