Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has warned that Ghana’s new school farm programme, set to launch later this month, risks failure if long-standing challenges that derailed past initiatives are not addressed.
Fieldwork conducted in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria shows that most school farms collapse once initial government funding runs out. Eduwatch is therefore urging government to integrate farm operations into school budgets to cover essential inputs such as seeds, tools and equipment. It further recommends that schools reinvest proceeds from produce into running costs and build partnerships with agribusinesses and local farmers to sustain supply chains.
The organisation has also identified weak technical capacity as a major gap. Many agriculture teachers have limited farm management experience, while new graduates often lack the practical skills needed to run successful projects. Eduwatch wants targeted training, mentorship programmes, and clearly defined management roles at the school level to strengthen capacity.
Another concern is the weak link between school farms and classroom learning. In many cases, students are engaged in land clearing with little exposure to actual cultivation or crop management. Eduwatch says the farms should be fully integrated into the Agricultural Science, Integrated Science and Business Studies curricula to provide students with measurable skills in record keeping, agribusiness, and climate-smart farming.
Land tenure challenges and poor soil quality also threaten sustainability. The organisation is calling for collaboration with traditional leaders and local authorities to secure legal land rights and protect farm boundaries. Where soil fertility is weak, it suggests alternative methods such as hydroponics and animal production.
Eduwatch further points to frequent staff transfers and weak management structures as reasons why many projects lose momentum. It is recommending the formation of school farm committees involving school leaders, students, local farmers and agricultural officers, supported by accountability systems that make farm performance part of district and school leadership assessments.
It stresses that school farms are meant to enhance learning, not generate profit. Their success, Eduwatch insists, will depend on steady funding, stronger technical support and effective oversight. Without these measures, it warns, the new programme could suffer the same fate as previous efforts.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
