References to the impact of the introduction of formal schooling into African societies show that the response has varied greatly. The particular case conssidered here is that of the Dagomba, in which certain factors appear to have inhibited educational development, even as far as the limited opportunities would allow. The 1960 Census shows that school attendance in the Dagomba area is strikingly low. The percentage of boys under 15 attending primary school in Dagomba is the lowest of the 4 northern states of Ghana, and the rate of increase in school attendance over the years is the lowest in the area. One of the long-term results of such a negative response is restriction of access to posts in the modern sector requiring high-level qualifications. Census 1960: only 2% of employed Dagomba hold professional, technical or administrative posts. After a brief outline of Dagomba traditional structure the patterns of recruitment and response to formal education are discussed in an attempt to explain the social factors behind the situation in education. References; notes; tables.
