- GSS, Education Ministry Move to Modernise Education Data with Learner-Tracking Pilot
Ghana is taking steps to modernise the production of education statistics through a new register-based data project that could transform how government tracks learners, plans school infrastructure, deploys teachers and allocates resources across the country.
The initiative, known as the Pilot Register-Based Education Statistics Project, is being spearheaded by the Ghana Statistical Service in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and the National Identification Authority.
Government Statistician, Alhassan Iddrisu, led a GSS delegation on a courtesy and working visit to the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, to discuss the project, which seeks to use secure administrative data to produce timely, accurate and reliable education statistics.
The project is aimed at shifting Ghana from expensive and periodic data collection exercises to a system where high-quality education statistics can be produced continuously from trusted administrative records.
According to the Government Statistician, the vision behind the initiative is simple but ambitious: to build a data system that allows Ghana to answer critical education questions in real time.
These include knowing who is learning, where learners are located, what they are studying, and the districts and regions in which they are enrolled.
The pilot is expected to lay the foundation for a future national education data system capable of tracking every child from entry into school through higher education and eventually into employment.
Such a system, if successfully implemented, could significantly strengthen Ghana’s education planning architecture. It would help government identify children at risk of dropping out, deploy teachers more effectively, allocate resources more fairly, plan infrastructure better, and ensure that no learner is left behind.
The project also reflects a broader ambition to strengthen Ghana’s national data ecosystem. Once proven in the education sector, the same register-based approach could be extended to other sectors including health, labour and social protection, improving national statistics and public-sector planning more broadly.
Mr Iddrisu said the engagement with the Education Minister was important because the success of the project would depend on strong institutional leadership, inter-agency coordination and public trust.
He expressed appreciation to Hon. Haruna Iddrisu for his support, particularly his agreement to chair the Project Steering Committee. The Government Statistician said the minister’s decision provides the high-level leadership needed to drive the initiative and signals the government’s commitment to data-driven decision-making in the education sector.
The involvement of the National Identification Authority is also expected to be central to the project, given the importance of identity systems in building reliable administrative records. The Government Statistician thanked the Executive Secretary of the NIA, who was represented by his deputy and team, for the Authority’s partnership and commitment to building an integrated national data system that serves the public good.
A key part of the project will be protecting personal information. Mr Iddrisu stressed that data protection, privacy and confidentiality would remain non-negotiable as the initiative advances.
He assured Ghanaians that personal records would be securely protected, adding that only the minimum data required for statistical purposes would be used. He further emphas that only the minimum data required for statistical purposes would be used. He further emphasised that the project would be implemented in full compliance with the Statistical Service Act and the Data Protection Act.
Individual information, he said, would never be published or disclosed.
The assurance is significant because register-based statistics depend on administrative records, which often contain sensitive personal information. Public confidence will therefore be critical to the success of the project. Without strong privacy safeguards, clear rules on data sharing and transparent governance, citizens may be reluctant to trust such an integrated system.
The GSS is presenting the initiative not merely as a statistical reform, but as a development planning tool. Better education data can help government move beyond broad estimates and delayed reporting to more timely and targeted decision-making.
For instance, real-time or regularly updated administrative education data could help policymakers identify underserved districts, monitor enrolment trends, track learner progression and guide investment in schools, classrooms, laboratories, teacher deployment and educational materials.
The project also has implications for equity. A stronger education data system can help identify learners who are invisible in fragmented records, including children who drop out, move between districts, transition poorly between levels of education, or are not adequately captured in existing systems.
By linking education records more effectively, government would be better placed to understand the full learner journey and intervene earlier where risks emerge.
The broader policy value is that education planning would become more evidence-based. Decisions on schools, teachers, infrastructure and investment would be guided by timely, accurate and trusted data rather than delayed surveys or incomplete administrative returns.
For Ghana, where education demand continues to grow and public resources remain constrained, the ability to plan with better data could improve efficiency and accountability across the sector.
The Pilot Register-Based Education Statistics Project therefore marks an important step in Ghana’s shift towards modern, integrated and secure public data systems.
