The silent struggle: Understanding the stress children face in Ghana’s education system
In Ghana, when we talk about education, we often focus on exam scores, infrastructure, and teacher quality. But there’s a conversation we’re not having enough—the growing stress children face just to stay in school and learn.
For many pupils across the country, especially in public basic schools, education is not just a journey of knowledge but a daily test of endurance, anxiety, and silent suffering.
Imagine a child waking up at 4:30 a.m, not to revise notes or enjoy a warm breakfast but to help their parents hawk food stuffs or sachet water before school. To go to class, some people walk several kilometers—sometimes barefoot—across muddy pathways or streams.
For access to school, which many of us take for granted, children in some communities must risk their safety by crossing rivers in canoes or over unsafe wooden bridges. Moreover, the reality of children studying in homes without electricity is present.
In locations where light is a luxury, students are required to either squint under candles or kerosene lamps or choose not to study at all. At times majority of teachers express dissatisfaction about students arriving at class late or unable to complete their homework. But what if we paused to consider what kind of family environment are these students are coming from?
Many students experience emotional distress due to family instability, particularly divorce or separation. A child who watched his or her parents arguing all night, or wept uncontrollably in the corner, is not likely to concentrate on fractions or spelling drills the next morning. Others are emotionally impacted by being compared to siblings or ridiculed by peers because of their background or class performance.
The school environment, while not a secure and nurturing place, can also be another reason for fear. Some children are afraid of being beaten up for having poor results on exams or being publicly scold for forgetting to do their homework.
Teachers, often overburdened and undertrained in handling psychosocial issues, may not even realise the long-lasting effects of this.
Considering the heavy workload of homework, which often involves multiple assignments in different subjects each day, it’s not worth considering the heavy workload of homework, which often involves multiple assignments in different subjects each day, it’s not worth considering how long the child has already worked at home or helped in the market. Friends’ teasing, particularly when a child arrives at school dirty, torn, or performing poorly, intensifies the trauma.
This is not to say education in Ghana is failing, but rather that we are missing a lot? Stress in childhood, if unchecked, children’s learning, emotional development and school performance are all negatively impacted by childhood stress. Why? Yet this issue remains under-discussed.
This crisis cannot be ignored. We must address the root causes of stress in order to produce resilient leaders. Schools should adopt trauma-sensitive approaches, recognising that a child’s behaviour may stem from deeper struggles. Why?
Teachers can establish supportive classrooms that prioritise mistakes as a part of learning rather than punishing failures. Ghana’s children face immense stress—hunger, long journeys, abuse, and academic pressure—yet their mental health is overlooked.
While government efforts like Free SHS and counselling programs help, more must be done. Schools need trained counsellors, trauma-sensitive teachers, and safer environments. Parents and communities must listen, advocate, and support. We demand urgent action: nourish minds with school meals, enforce child protection laws, and invest in mental health. Education should inspire joy, not fear.
The future depends on it. Government, teachers, parents—act now. Every child deserves to learn without suffering. The time to lighten their burden is today.
BY KOFI KWAKYE TAKYI
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