In Ghana, the word SAITO, a term commonly used to describe someone who attended a public school, has grown far beyond a neutral description of educational background. Over time, it has quietly evolved into a stereotype, a label and a judgment.
To be called SAITO is often to be perceived as someone who received a “low-quality” education, someone presumed to be less intelligent, less exposed, or less capable. These assumptions are rarely spoken aloud, yet they are deeply embedded in everyday conversations, social interactions, and institutional practices. Over time, they become normalized, shaping how students see themselves long before they ever step into the world beyond school.
This narrative is not harmless. It is powerful and its consequences are far-reaching.
I attended public school for both my basic education and Junior High School. At the time, I did not fully understand the weight society attached to that label. But as I grew older, I began to notice how quickly people formed opinions based solely on the type of school one attended, often without considering context, effort, or outcomes.
Today, when people look at where I am, it becomes evident that school type did not define my intelligence, ambition, or future. I graduated as a first-class student, I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in the United States, and I run a foundation, Araba Foundation International committed to promoting rural education in Ghana. My work has been featured in The New York Times, and I have had the opportunity to speak as an international speaker on global platforms, including the United Nations and the World Bank.
None of these milestones were determined by the type of school I attended. What shaped my journey were the values I built, the resilience I developed, and the opportunities I pursued, often in spite of limited resources.
Yet the stereotypes persist.
Recently, I came across a video featuring young girls from SaitoPod, primary school students who proudly identify as SAITO in Ghana. They speak confidently, articulate their thoughts clearly, and demonstrate a level of self-awareness that challenges nearly every assumption society often makes about public school students.
Watching them was a powerful reminder: the issue has never been SAITO. The issue has always been the story we tell about it.
The Consequences of the SAITO Stereotype
The SAITO stereotype does more than distort perception, it shapes lived experiences.
For many students, repeated exposure to the idea that their school is inferior gradually erodes confidence. Some begin to doubt their intelligence. Others limit their aspirations, believing certain spaces or opportunities are “not meant for people like them.” This psychological burden often goes unnoticed, yet it directly affects participation, performance, and self-belief.
Beyond school, the stigma follows students into adulthood. In higher education admissions, job recruitment, and professional environments, school background is sometimes used as a shortcut for judging competence. When employers or institutions prioritize school prestige over skills, experience, and potential, inequality quietly reproduces itself.
In this way, public school students are not only under-resourced, they are also underestimated.
Changing the Narrative: From Stereotype to Strength
Dismantling the SAITO narrative requires action at multiple levels: Individual, societal, institutional, and policy.
1. Reclaiming Pride and Identity
For those who attended public schools, pride matters. Being educated is not something to downplay or apologize for. Public school graduates must speak confidently about their journeys, understanding that their achievements were earned, often against the odds. School does not define the person, the person defines the school.
2. Shifting Societal Mindsets
As a society, we must interrogate the assumptions we have normalized. Intelligence is not school-branded. Talent exists in every community, urban and rural, public and private. What differs is access to opportunity, not ability.
Changing language, attitudes, and everyday conversations around public schools is a necessary first step in dismantling deeply rooted class-based biases.
3. Rethinking Hiring and Institutional Practices
Employers and institutions must move beyond school-based profiling. Recruitment and selection should be grounded in competence, adaptability, and potential, not the perceived prestige of an applicant’s educational background.
Merit-based systems that value skills over branding create fairer, more inclusive outcomes.
4. Investing in Public Education as a Policy Priority
Ultimately, changing perception must go hand in hand with structural investment.
If we truly want to eliminate stereotypes around SAITO, then public schools must be adequately resourced and supported. This includes; Improved infrastructure, Quality teaching and learning materials, Teacher motivation and professional development, and Safe, inclusive, and inspiring learning environments
Equity is not achieved by pretending all schools are the same. It is achieved by intentionally investing where gaps exist.
Conclusion: Redefining SAITO
Redefining SAITO is not about denying the challenges public schools face. It is about refusing to allow those challenges to define the children who pass through them. When we change how we see public schools, we change how students see themselves. That shift, quiet but powerful, has the potential to transform confidence, aspiration, and outcomes. SAITO is not a limitation. It is not a verdict. It is not the end of a story. It is simply one part of a journey, and for many, the beginning of greatness.
#QualityEducation #MinistryofEducation #SAITO # Empowerment
