Comparison Essay of K-12 Education in Canada and Ghana

Comparison of K-12 Education in Canada and Ghana Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor's Name Comparison of K-12 Education in Canada and Ghana Education plays the social role of supporting human development and offering support for a nation's growth. Although Canada and Ghana emphasize K-12 education, the attention given to education in these two nations has been developed in different socio-economic backgrounds, histories, and cultures. This essay evaluates the K-12 schooling systems in the two countries, Canada and Ghana while highlighting successes and challenges in the countries' schooling systems. Canada has a well-developed success model for its inclusive education and resource allocations. On the contrary, despite the country's limited economic resources, Ghana has shown remarkable features in adapting to the changes to provide education to the nation's young population. Based on the analysis of governance, accessibility, curriculum, equity, and teacher training, this essay argues that both systems are global. Governance: Decentralized vs. Centralized Systems Canada's K-12 education system is decentralized, with governance entrusted to provincial authorities. The flexibility of this model regarding the application of interventions in the various regions makes it possible to be innovative. Some provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, have adopted progressive curricula of critical thinking, multiculturalism, and technological competence (Cooper et al., 2017). However, decentralization continues to be biased because of the distribution of resources and the difference in the policy implementation rate from province to province. For instance, Indigenous communities often face systemic neglect, as highlighted by Sensoy (2024), who critiques the historical and ongoing disparities within Canadian education. In contrast, Ghana has a centralized system of education for K-12 supervised by the Ministry of Education. Although this structure helps to maintain the similarity between different regions in implementing policies, it fails to address regional differences (Anyidoho & Ogina, 2024). Rural areas are worse off because they experience inadequate resources and poor physical infrastructure. In addition, the centralization of the Ghanaian system also poses challenges since the local stakeholders cannot exert much pressure on educational policies independently, creating a policy-practice divide (Christel, 2020). This governance model, even though it is flawed, reflects Ghana's attempt to ensure national cohesion and consistency in a context of limited resources. Accessibility: Bridging Socio-Economic Divides Universal access to education is a shared aspiration, yet the outcomes are markedly different between Canada and Ghana. In Canada, K-12 education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 16 years, hence the high enrollment and retention rates (Sensoy, 2024). Policies promoting inclusivity, such as accommodations for students with disabilities and support for marginalized communities, further strengthen access. Although Canada has very effective system, it is still not beyond criticism (Sarpong, 2023). For instance, Indigenous students experience systematic barriers that limit their chances of success in school, thus exposing systematic inequity. Ghana's Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy underscores its commitment to accessibility to the K-12 education system (Eshun, 2024). However, the costs like uniforms, books, and transport remain barriers, especially for families living in rural areas. Gender disparities increase these challenges, with girls often forced to drop out of school due to early marriage or domestic responsibilities (Owusu, 2015). However, Ghana's efforts, such as local scholarship programs and girls' education campaigns in the community, have tried to bridge the...