ガーナの前期中等学校が抱える課題と改善実践 : 成績上位校と下位校の比較から探る予備的考察

本稿はガーナの前期中等教育における公正なアクセスと教育の質を脅かす要因及び改善実践の取り組みを、基礎教育修了資格試験の成績上位校と下位校との比較による共通項と差異に着目し纏めたものである。ガーナは、より効果的、かつ効率的な教育サービスの提供と学校運営を促進し、質を伴った教育を提供するために、地方の教育行政機関への権限移譲、学校の裁量権の拡大、地域社会との連携を強化するなど地方分権化政策を進めている。教員を対象とした質問票から得た結果から、学校助成金の遅滞や不足により地方分権化がもたらす学校管理運営の裁量の拡大といったメリットが活かしがたい現状、また成績下位校は上位校よりも家庭の経済状況が子どもの教育に及ぼす影響を強く受けていること、成績上位校の生徒はより高い学習意欲と姿勢を有していることが明らかになった。また、成績上位校、下位校ともに取り組んでいる様々な学校改善実践や工夫を挙げ、他の学校に適用可能な「グッド・プラクティス（優れた実践）」を探っている。

This paper examines obstacles to students’ regular schooling and quality education in Ghanaian junior high schools, as well as their countermeasures, by investigating similarities and differences in perspectives on education barriers and good practices at high- and low- performing schools. Ghana has promoted the decentralization of education, in the expectation that education management and systems for providing quality education become equitable, affordable, and accountable. One way to realize such benefits is to empower schools by devising and implementing school performance improvement plans using capitation grants. As shown in questionnaire responses, research outcomes reveal that delayed and insufficient capitation grants prevent schools from using the benefit of expanded decision making by school management that decentralization has sought to effect. This paper, moreover, illustrates that the household economy of students at low-performing schools exerts greater impact on their learning outcomes than that of their peers at high-performing schools, who demonstrate more motivation to learn, pose questions to teachers, and spend more time on exam preparation than students at low-performing schools. Exploring learning improvement practices attempted at schools, including awarding high-performing students and having female role models to encourage female education, this paper also suggests that identifying and sharing these good practices can prompt progress in students’ regular schooling and learning.