Children’s participation rights: comparative analysis of implementation practices in public and private preschools in Ghana

Abstract Children’s participation rights (CPR) in early childhood education (ECE) emphasises children’s right to express their views and have them considered in decision-making processes, contributing to improved cognitive and socioemotional outcomes. Despite the significance of CPR, its implementation in Ghana’s ECE system remains undocumented. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare how public and private preschool educators in Ghana implement CPR, specifically examining the four elements of Lundy’s Model of Child Participation (space, voice, audience, and influence). The study employed a quantitative exploratory cross-sectional design that used a structured questionnaire to collect data from educators ( n  = 172; public school teachers = 50%). Descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, and standard deviation) were used to summarise participants’ demographics and CPR implementation scores, while independent samples t-tests and Pearson chi-square tests compared educators’ practices between public and private preschools. Educators demonstrated strong efforts in creating participatory spaces ( M  = 3.0/4.0) and facilitating children’s voices ( M  = 3.3/4.0). However, lower scores were observed with regard to audience ( M  = 2.4/4.0) and influence ( M  = 2.8/4.0). No significant differences emerged between public and private schools, highlighting systemic challenges. While Ghanaian educators prioritise foundational aspects of CPR, transformative participation remains limited. Targeted teacher training and policy reforms are urgently needed to bridge gaps in audience and influence, ensuring children’s rights are fully realised in ECE settings.