Literacy and Education

Literacy on the other hand, refers to a person’s ability to read and write in any language. Specifically, literacy refers to the ability to read and write a simple statement in any language with understanding. In Ghana, most people obtain this skill by enrolling in formal educational institutions although some obtain it informally (evening or night classes). From Table 3.9, majority (59.2%) of the population 11 years and older is literate while the remaining 40.8 per cent is not literate. In terms of sex, males (58.0%) are more likely to be literates than females (42.0%). Males who are not literate form a proportion of 41.1 percent which is less than their female counterparts (58.9%).

About one-quarter (25.3%) of the literate population can read and write English only and 9.3 percent can read and write in at least one Ghanaian Language while a relatively high proportion (64.6%) is literate in English and one Ghanaian Language. The proportion of the population that can read and write in English, French and at least one Ghanaian language is 0.4 percent. The cohort age 11-14 years has 37.0 percent who can read and write in English only. However, 53.1 percent can read and write in English and a Ghanaian language and 9.3 percent within the age bracket 11-14 years can read and write only a Ghanaian language. For ages 55-59 years, 73.6 percent can read and write in English and a Ghanaian language and 67.1 percent of those aged 65 and above are also able to do same.

Below one percent (0.2) of males of ages 11-14 years can read and write in English and French. For males among ages 15-19 years, 24.1 percent can read and write in English only while 70.5 percent of the same male age group can read and write both English and Ghanaian Language. Majority (71.2%) of adult males of ages 65 and above can read and write English and a Ghanaian language. While no female in the age category 11-14 years can read and write in English and French, 50.2 percent of them are able to read and write in English and a Ghanaian language. More than one-half (65.4%) of females aged 60-64years can read and write in English and a Ghanaian Language with only 26.9 percent reading and writing in English only.

Table 3.10 shows the level of education, school attendance and sex of population three years and older in the Banda District. A total of 7,747 of the population three years and older are currently attending school and males form the majority (55.4%). The results of the analysis further reveal that more than nine out of every ten persons (93.4%) are attending basic school (nursery, kindergarten, primary, JHS/JSS and middle). On the other hand, just 5.1 percent is in the second cycle (secondary, SSS/SHS, vocational, technical and commercial) relative to about one percent who are in post-secondary (0.3%) and tertiary (0.8%) institutions.

A comparatively higher proportion (95.4%) of the female population aged three years and older is currently attending basic school compared to 92.4 percent of their male counterparts. Greater proportions of the male population are currently in tertiary (1.2%) and post middle (0.3%) levels compared to 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent of the female population respectively. There is an equal proportion of male and female population currently attending vocational, technical and commercial institutions.

The total population three years and older in the district who have attended school in the past is 4,641. On the basis of sex distribution of the population who have attended school in the past, three out of every five are males. Comparatively, a higher proportion (86.7%) of females aged three years and older is currently attending basic school compared to 75.2 percent of their male counterparts. On the other hand, 17.6 percent of males relative to 10.0 percent of females in this age category and have been to school reached the second cycle. Although population who attained post-secondary and tertiary levels in the district is low, the proportion of females (3.3%) is significantly lower than that of their male counterparts (7.2%).