Inclusion and Agency in Ghanaian Schools:The Case of West African Child Migrants

This article examines the factors affecting the inclusion of migrant students and how they exercise agency in response to the challenges that impede their inclusion within the Ghanaian education system. We draw on agency and inclusion theories in the analysis of interviews and observation data from 68 migrant students across 30 schools. The findings show the negative impact of language, exploitation, labeling, and teasing on migrant students in the absence of inclusive structures. This article brings to the fore the lack of inclusion for migrant students at the basic school level in Ghana and its negative ramifications on the academic achievement of not just migrant students but all students. The study highlights how migrant students demonstrate relational agency in their preference for friendships with people from similar backgrounds in overcoming challenges in school. Our findings contribute to studies on migration and education by addressing some of the challenges and possibilities of comparative and international education in “postcolonial” Africa.