There is a growing and deeply worrying trend in Ghana’s basic education system: schools are competing fiercely instead of collaborating, and this rivalry may be quietly undermining the quality of teaching and learning.
From sports festivals that escalate into hostility to the labelling of schools as Category A and underdogs, the pressure to outperform others has shifted attention away from genuine learning.
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In some districts, this competition has become so intense that schools form informal leagues, pushing heads and teachers to do everything possible to place first.
This unhealthy rivalry, seen across some communities, is a silent threat weakening the foundation of basic education.
Unhealthy competition
For decades, some basic schools have viewed one another as rivals rather than partners.
This mindset is most visible during sporting and academic events, where healthy enthusiasm often escalates into hostility and excessive pressure to win.
Quiz competitions, in particular, sometimes surprise observers when less resourced schools outperform well-known institutions, exposing how reputation often outweighs real learning outcomes.
In the rush to rank higher and protect school images, some institutions are tempted to take shortcuts.
Desperation to be counted among the best has, in certain cases, led to examination malpractices and other unethical practices. Such actions erode trust, weaken accountability, and undermine the collaborative spirit needed for long-term improvement.
Rather than learning from one another, schools become preoccupied with outshining their peers. Ultimately, this may slow learning progress and lower educational standards.
Interdependence
Not all schools operate under the same conditions. While some struggle with shortages of teachers, textbooks, laboratories, and ICT facilities, others enjoy relatively better support.
Excessive competition reduces the willingness to share resources, leaving disadvantaged schools further behind.
Yet collaboration remains one of the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes.
For instance, some schools participate in academic exchange programmes, allow neighbouring schools to use their libraries and laboratories, or permit access to ICT centres.
In several communities, teachers from better-resourced schools voluntarily support learners in less endowed ones.
Without such cooperation, educational standards in these communities would be far weaker.
Role of stakeholders
Sadly, some stakeholders, including Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), opinion leaders, and even parents, unknowingly fuel competition instead of cooperation.
Some parents speak negatively about particular schools in front of their children.
This may plant seeds of inferiority and weaken their confidence.
Furthermore, this behaviour is reinforced by the school selection preferences of many families.
The former Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Ekow Vincent Assafuah, explained that, while many schools have enough space to admit students, most students are not being placed because of their personal preference for only a handful of schools.
He stated, “If you look at the declared vacancies that are available and measure it against eligible students for placement, clearly there are a lot of vacancies. But the challenge has always been the choice of school. So, you get all the Category A schools being choked, meanwhile, other categories of schools won’t have enough pupils.” (Afua Adwubi Wiafe Akenteng, citinewsroom, 2023).
This mindset fuels unhealthy competition, creates unnecessary pressure on a few popular schools, and leaves many others under-enrolled and underutilised, ultimately affecting the balance and quality of education across the system.
While healthy competition can be motivating in small doses, too much of it can create anxiety, self-doubt, and division among students.
When learners are constantly compared, those who struggle may feel excluded, while high performers may become stressed trying to maintain their rank.
Over time, this environment shifts the focus from learning and growth to fear, pressure, and unhealthy rivalry—conditions that do not support holistic development (Augustine Amankwah, 2025).
When basic schools compete instead of collaborating, everyone loses.
But when they connect by sharing knowledge, resources, and support, education standards rise for all.
They do not need to be rivals rather, they should be partners working toward a common goal: quality learning for every child.
By HENRY ATTA NYAME
The writer is Institutional Assessment Practitioner
