The District relatively has a reasonable number of public and private schools that provide education to the people within the district especially at the basic and second cycle levels. For the public schools, there are Eighty one (81) pre-schools, Eighty two (82) primary schools, Seventy (70) Junior high schools, and Two (2) Senior High schools.

These public and private educational institutions provide human resources development opportunities for children and youth in the district. The distribution of these educational institutions is shown in the table below on Circuit bases.

Out of a total of 233 Public Basic Schools in the District, Sekyere Circuit has the highest number of 39 Public Basic schools representing 16.7% followed by Abomosu Circuit with a total number of 34 Public Basic schools representing 14.6%. Enyiresi has 10 public primary schools but only 6 JHS to absorb the graduates from the primary schools and this is inadequate. There is the need to increase the number of JHS in Enyiresi Circuit to provide adequate opportunities for the pupils from the primary schools to access JHS Education. 

Pre-school Enrolment level

At the pre-school level, total enrolment has decreased from 7,139 in 2012 to 6,656 in 2013. Total female enrolment is 50.4%, while male enrolment is 49.6%. These results indicate a higher enrolment of girls than boys at the pre-school level in 2013. And this is encouraging, so measures must be put in place to ensure that these girls continue their education to the higher levels.

Primary school Enrolment level

Primary school enrolment has decreased significantly from 13,720 in 2012 to 13,037 in 2013. But in this case ‘Boy’ school enrolment at the primary level is higher than that of Girls. Total female enrolment is 47.8%, while male enrolment is 52.2%. Measures must be put in place to increase Girl-child education.    

Junior High School Enrolment level

At the JHS level, school enrolment has increased slightly from 4,978 in 2012 to 5,169 in 2013. Like the primary school level, Boys enrolment is higher than that of Girls at the JHS level. Overall, this implies that as they climb the educational ladder to the top, the girls’ dropout turn to be higher than boys. Management attention and action is needed to resolve the issue so as to ensure the retention of girls in school throughout the education ladder. 

Gross Enrolment/ Participation Rate

Pupils’ Enrolment under the Capitation Grant

The capitation grant policy is a pro-poor policy aimed at reducing the financial burden on guidance thereby increasing pupil’s enrolment in schools throughout the country. This policy started in 2005 in the Atiwa West District. It  has been revealed that the general school participation rate in the district has decreased from 26,822 in 2011/2012 academic year to 25,791 in 2012/2013 at the pre-school level.

School Infrastructure

School infrastructure at the pre-school and basic levels in the district is still inadequate, including furniture, and the existing classrooms are poor.

Primary School Infrastructure

School infrastructure at the primary schools in the district is still inadequate even though the district assembly has done it best in providing new classrooms blocks. Out of 94 classrooms in the primary level, 57.4% are cement blocks, 34% are mud classrooms and the rest of 8.5% are wooden and very bad structures. 

Junior High School Infrastructure

At the JHS level, only very few of the structures are wooden buildings and most of them are in a good condition.

Junior High School Teacher

The JHS has adequate teachers in the district of which over 86% of them are trained teachers and the rest are pupil teachers and the private teachers are all pupil teachers and about one hundred and fifty-one (51) private teachers in the district.

Supervision and Performance in BECE

Supervision

Most of the key school level stakeholders (PTAs and SMCs) are still inactive. There is therefore a weak linkage between schools and their respective communities (who are owners of schools). The responsibility of the communities to plan, manage, monitor and maintain the effective running of schools is rarely carried out. This is affecting school performance at the basic levels. 

Intensive education of community members is necessary, so as to encourage them to form such management groups for the better management of schools, and for the direct benefit of all children in the communities. It is also necessary to train the PTAs and SMCs to improve their performances. The average number of visit per month to schools, by the inspectorate division of the District Education Directorate has increased slightly from 2.2 in 2005 to 2.4 in 2009. The performance is still below the required average of 3.0 visits per month. Six (6) motor bikes have been provided to some circuit supervisors, but delays in the release of traveling and risk allowances and other incentives is affecting effective monitoring and supervision of schools.

BECE Performance

The performance of pupils in the BECE in the district has decreased greatly from 40% in 2012 to 34.2% in 2013. Performance in the circuit bases has also decreased significantly in all circuits. Efforts are therefore needed to raise the performance level in the district.

Key problems and challenges affecting improved educational standard in the district include the following:

• Low academic performance at the basic school level
• High number of dilapidated classroom infrastructure
• High level of congestion in schools and Weak supervision in schools
• Inadequate school furniture
• Inadequate trained teachers especially in the rural areas and the pre-school level
• Ineffective ICT education in the district
  With regards to the private schools, twenty two (22) are pre-schools, twenty two (22) primary schools, twelve (12) Junior High schools, two (2) Senior High schools, and one (1) vocational school.