Gov’t reaffirms commitment to foundational education reforms

Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening foundational education as part of broader efforts to improve learning outcomes and prepare a future-ready workforce, senior officials said during talks with the Jacobs Foundation this week.

Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang stated that education – from kindergarten through senior high school – remains central to the country’s development agenda as it seeks to reduce inequity and strengthen human capital.

“Education remains central to Ghana’s development and transformation agenda,” she said during a courtesy call by the foundation’s board. “We welcome continued collaboration that strengthens teaching, learning and evidence-based policymaking for the benefit of every Ghanaian child.”

The engagement formed part of a four-day official visit by the Jacobs Foundation Board of Trustees from Jan. 20 to Jan. 23, aimed at reviewing progress in foundational learning reforms and aligning philanthropic support with Ghana’s national education priorities.

Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu said partnerships with philanthropic organisations have played a key role in expanding teacher training and system-wide reforms, citing the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Programme (GALOP AF2) which has received support from the Foundation.

“Through initiatives such as GALOP AF2, Ghana continues investing in teacher development to ensure foundational learning remains a national priority,” Mr. Iddrisu said.

State officials said a central pillar of government’s education strategy is a blended financing model that combines public funding, philanthropy, private sector investment and development partner support.

The approach is intended to create more sustainable financing for teacher capacity-building and school leadership programmes, particularly in underserved communities.

By aligning multiple funding sources around shared policy goals, government said it aims to improve accountability, scale evidence-based interventions and accelerate gains in literacy and numeracy, officials added.

Deputy Minister of Education Clement Apaak said philanthropic partnerships have helped extend learning interventions nationwide and strengthen instructional quality at the classroom level.

“The Ministry of Education applauds Jacobs Foundation and its partners for their contribution to Ghana’s foundational learning reforms,” he said.

The Jacobs Foundation, a Swiss-based philanthropic organisation focused on child and youth development, works in Ghana with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to support evidence-driven education reforms.

During this visit, the Foundation’s board is also holding meetings with Ghana Education Service, development partners, civil society groups, the World Bank and private sector actors – also visiting schools to assess classroom implementation.

Officials of the Foundation said discussions emphasised a shared commitment to improving foundational learning outcomes nationwide, with a focus on teacher quality, system effectiveness and equitable access to education.

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