Schools in North East Region
721 schools across 6 districts in North East Region, 1.7% of every school in Ghana, against an average of 2,727 a region. 12 are senior high schools and 10% of schools with a stated owner are private. The regional capital is Nalerigu. About 36% of people aged 6 and over can read and write (our calculation from Census 2021 counts).
About North East Region
The North East Region has Nalerigu as its capital and was created from the former Northern Region after the referendum of 27 December 2018. It has six districts, including East Mamprusi, West Mamprusi, Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri and Chereponi. The Mamprusi are the main group, and the region is home to the Mamprugu Kingdom, whose overlord, the Nayiri, has his palace in Nalerigu. Gambaga, beside it, was the first headquarters of the Northern Territories. Because the region is young, older school and results records are filed under the former Northern Region. The 2021 census counted 174,321 people aged 6 and over attending school here. Mission stations arrived in the north in the late 1940s, and the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu came out of that period. The Gambaga escarpment runs along the north, and the Nalerigu Defence Wall is a reminder of the 16th century. To compare schools in your district, the SchoolRegistry directory lets you search by district.
How the region came about: Created from the former Northern Region after the referendum of 27 December 2018
What makes North East Region proud
- The Nayiri Palace in Nalerigu has been the seat of the Mamprugu overlord since the 1690s.
- Gambaga was the first headquarters of the Northern Territories.
- The Nalerigu Defence Wall dates to the 16th century and is described by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
- The Gbintiri market in East Mamprusi is described as one of the largest animal markets in Ghana.
Education pride in North East
Founding years are shown only where the sources are reliable and agree. A school without a year here is listed without one rather than guessed.
- Missionary stations opened in the north from the late 1940s, and the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu is named among the health services that grew from them. Today it serves as the municipal hospital for East Mamprusi.
North East in numbers
721 schools on the register, counted by level and owner, against the whole country.
Schools by level
- Basic schools642 · 89%
- Primary schools35 · 5%
- Junior high schools21 · 3%
- Senior high schools12 · 2%
- Vocational schools3 · 0%
- Nursing and midwifery training colleges3 · 0%
- Kindergartens1 · 0%
Source: Ministry of Education school register, 2023/24. Basic schools combine KG, primary and JHS at one campus and are not split in the register.
Public and private
Ghana: 29.0% private. Share is of schools with a stated owner.
Literacy and learning
Literacy is our own calculation from the Census 2021 counts. Learning scores are older, and are labelled with the region as it was then.
Share of people aged 6 and over who can read and write, by region
North East is 35.9% against 69.8% for the 16 regions together. Highest: Greater Accra 87.9%. Lowest: Savannah 32.8%.
Our calculation from Census 2021 counts (187,835 literate of 522,717 aged 6 and over in North East). Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2021.
- The 2021 census counted 174,321 people aged 6 and over in the North East Region who were attending school, 81,350 of them female.2021
- The area was part of the old Northern Region until 2019, so earlier learning results sit inside the old Northern figures. There, Primary 6 English proficiency rose from 16.0 percent in 2013 to 22.8 percent in 2016.2013 to 2016, old boundaries
Culture and heritage in North East Region
Festival months are the usual ones, and some move with the lunar calendar. Ask locally before you travel.
Festivals and their usual month
- DambaMamprusi, Nalerigu and Gambaga The East Mamprusi Municipal Assembly names Damba as one of its two annual traditional festivals. The Commission lists Nalerigu as a place where it is held.
- Bugum Chugu (Fire Festival)Mamprusi and other Mole-Dagbani communities The municipal assembly names it as the second annual festival; Graphic Online describes it as a fire and torch festival held at night.
Heritage sites
- otherNalerigu Defence WallNalerigu Remains of the Naa Jaringa walls, built in the 16th century by a Mamprusi chief. The Ghana Museums and Monuments Board describes it, and only a few ruins remain.
- otherNayiri PalaceNalerigu The seat of the Mamprugu overlord, in existence in Nalerigu since the 1690s. Visitors need an introduction from a palace elder.
The economy of North East Region in a line
Agriculture is the main activity, and the Gbintiri market in East Mamprusi is described as one of the largest animal markets in Ghana.
Districts of North East Region
Every district, with its private share and senior high count. Schools with no district recorded are in the region total only.
| District | Schools | Private | Senior high |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Mamprusi Municipal | 176 | 13% | 3 |
| East Mamprusi Municipal | 165 | 13% | 5 |
| Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri | 122 | 11% | 3 |
| Chereponi | 110 | 9% | 0 |
| Mamprugu Moagduri | 75 | 4% | 1 |
| Yunyoo Nasuan | 70 | 3% | 0 |
Cities and towns in North East Region
Senior high schools in North East Region
The first ten of 12. The full list, by district, has its own page.
| School | Level | Ownership | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bimbagu Senor High Technical School | Senior High | public | Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri |
| Bunkpurugu Senior High Technical School | Senior High | public | Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri |
| Excellence College International Senior High school | Senior High | private | West Mamprusi Municipal |
| Gambaga Girls Senior High School | Senior High | public | East Mamprusi Municipal |
| Gambaga Girls' SHS | Senior High | public | East Mamprusi Municipal |
| Gbintiri Senior High Technical School | Senior High | public | East Mamprusi Municipal |
| Langbinsi Senior High Technical School | Senior High | public | East Mamprusi Municipal |
| Nakpanduri Business Senior High School | Senior High | public | Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri |
| Nalerigu Senior High School | Senior High | public | East Mamprusi Municipal |
| Walewale Sec./Tech. School | Senior High | public | West Mamprusi Municipal |
All 12 senior high schools in North East Region
Schools near me in North East Region
Looking for schools near you, or near North East Region? Open the near me tool and, if you choose to share your location, it lists the closest schools to where you are. Your position is used once to work out the list and is not stored. You can pick a town instead.
Find schools near meQuestions people ask about schools in North East Region
- How many schools are there in North East Region?
- 721 schools across 6 districts, which is 1.7% of every school in Ghana. 12 of them are senior high schools.
- Which district in North East Region has the most schools?
- West Mamprusi Municipal, with 176 schools.
- How do I find schools near me in North East Region?
- Open the schools near me page and allow your location, or choose your town. It lists the closest schools to you from the schools whose position we trust. Each district page in North East Region also lists its schools.
- When was the North East Region created?
- Voters approved it in the referendum of 27 December 2018. It was carved out of the former Northern Region, and Nalerigu is its capital.
- Where can I find school results for the North East Region?
- Learning results for the North East Region on its own are limited. Results from before 2019 belong to the old Northern Region. The 2021 census counted 174,321 people aged 6 and over in the region attending school.