STARTRIGHT III - 2024
As of 2023, the tertiary school enrollment rate in Ghana was 21.99%, meaning that just over one in five eligible students who completed secondary school moved on to university or training college. This represents an improvement from previous years but remains significantly below the global average of 40.35%. (www.theglobaleconomy.com). While this figure applies to Ghana as a whole, Northern Ghana generally experiences lower enrollment rates due to factors such as poverty, lack of educational infrastructure and cultural barriers. GES data has shown that only 20-39% percent of students in Northern Ghana complete senior high school education, significantly lower than the national average. This low completion rate directly affects the number of students progressing to tertiary education. Some of the major reasons for this phenomenon are the lack knowledge on educational opportunities and the lack of intentional career guidance and mentorship. Northern Ghana and by extension many rural communities in Ghana lags behind in locally led educational interventions that focus less on results and more of the process to achieving the result.
Effect
As a result of this problem, second-cycle students who complete senior high school in northern Ghana see the training colleges as the only resort to continuing their education. We think this phenomenon demonstrates a narrow understanding of higher education in Ghana.
Solution
STARTRIGHT IV is a tertiary education exhibition in northern Ghana; inviting key tertiary institutions in Ghana as wells study abroad groups to showcase themselves to final year candidates and other interested persons in the regions. We believe this event would shape the aspirations of students positively. It will also create opportunities for more students from northern Ghana to pursue other career options apart from the oversubscribed teaching and nursing programs.
Impact:
Nature of Program:
The program shall be a day’s program in the month of June annually. The session would include some brief statements from invited guests and the Guest of Honor. This session would be succeeded by introductory messages from the various tertiary schools in attendance. Next will be the table-to-table exhibition where students get to walk to the school of their choice to know more about them. This is then followed by a break-out session for mentorship using trained university career coaches and counsellors alongside volunteers of School of Thoughts who have been carefully selected. This exhibition continues till the end of the program.
Expected Schools/Education firms
In line with Ghana governments agenda to ensuring that youthful citizens have the practical skills necessary for success, this project shall include Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutes.
Event Name: STARTRIGHT IV: A Higher education exhibition
Theme: Journey to the Future: Owning the process
Date: Saturday, 14th June 2025
Venue: Tamale Senior High School
Time: 0900hrs – 1500hrs
Stakeholders/Partners
Ghana Education Service, Northern region
Media Houses
National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS)
Private Universities Association of Ghana (PUSAG)
What is New in STARTRIGHT IV?
STARTRIGHT GAMECHANGERS COHORT: The cohort concept is an opportunity for School of Thoughts Ghana to select 10 outstanding participants of the event and support them with close mentorship/coaching and opportunities for 12-months. Some of the activities would include opportunities to attend high profile events, leadership training, scholarships etc.
