Realistically there is a limit to the scope of project involvement for a small charity such as the EDP-Trust. With this in mind it has been decided to focus on a project where there is a personal connection.
The Awutu-Winton Senior High School in Ghana project has been selected as a result of local connections in north-west Hampshire in Southern England where links are being forged between the Winton School in Andover, a local community comprehensive secondary school, and the construction of a much needed secondary school in Awutu - a community of nearly 100,000 people some two hours drive west of the capital, Accra.
Ghana has a relatively good education sytem with 92% of children benefiting from government run free primary education. However less than half that amount, 45% of the population, attend secondary school . Furthermore the primary education on offer is often of low quality, from untrained teachers , resulting in low cognitive skills attainment and reducing the impact of schooling for the individual. As secondatry school is very expensive , 35% of the average GDP per capita, it is out of financial reach for the majority of people. Action Aid has called this a 'dead end ' for the poor - secondary education , and the skills needed for the attainment of jobs /further education, are monopolised by those who can afford it and the poverty cycle becomes self perpetuating.