The Road to Reading Is Washed Out

obrianshannen
Jul 28
2 min read

A field report from Ghana’s Northern Region, and a wake-up call

This spring, our team set out across the Northern Region to assess the state of literacy in rural schools. Over several weeks, we traveled rough roads, visited 17 different schools, and sat with teachers, students, and community leaders to understand what’s working, and where the gaps are deepest.

What we found was a quiet crisis.

In one school, students sat on stones under a tree while their teacher wrote lessons in the dust. In another, two full classes shared a crumbling building. There were no washrooms. No books. No drinking water. In nearly every school, teachers were doing their best with almost nothing, and still showing up.

And the numbers confirmed what we saw.

The Numbers We Can’t Ignore

Across the 17 schools assessed, the average literacy proficiency was just 17.5%.

6 schools scored 11% or lower
5 schools fell between 15%–20%
1 school reached 25%
3 schools sat between 35%–40% — the highest we saw

That means in most classrooms, fewer than 2 out of 10 students could read and understand basic grade-level text.

These aren’t just numbers. They’re locked doors, blocking students from learning, from participating in class, from dreaming of a future that requires them to read, write, and believe in their own abilities.

Our team conducting assessments with students at 17 rural schools in the Nanton district.

But We’ve Seen What’s Possible

We’ve worked in schools just like these, with scores just as low, and we’ve seen what can happen when the right support is in place.

In the communities where Create Change has already implemented our literacy model, we’ve helped raise scores from the teens to over 70% and 80%. We’ve watched children go from sounding out letters to reading full paragraphs. We’ve seen the confidence that blooms when a child realizes they can understand the world around them.

And we’ve seen what it means for teachers to be equipped, not just expected.

Our work in literacy, led by young women, changing the trajectory of education in rural areas.

Where We Go From Here

This wasn’t just a data collection trip. It was a listening tour, and a call to action.

We now know exactly where the need is greatest. We’ve seen it firsthand. The question is not whether we’ll respond, it’s how far our resources will stretch, and how many schools we can bring into the next phase of our literacy expansion.

The communities are ready. The teachers are willing. The students are showing up.

Now it’s our turn.