Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has called on West African countries to invest in resilient education systems before crises occur, rather than waiting for emergencies to disrupt learning.
Speaking at the 2nd High-Level Conference on Scaling Education Initiatives in Emergencies in Accra, Dr Apaak identified conflicts, climate shocks, health emergencies and economic pressures as growing threats to education.
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He stressed the importance of risk analysis, contingency planning and safe school infrastructure, noting that preparedness costs less than rebuilding after crises.
Dr Apaak also called for stronger capacity at regional and district levels, supported by reliable data, clear mandates and effective planning tools. He said these measures would enable education systems to respond quickly and maintain learning during emergencies.
He further urged governments and development partners to provide sustained and predictable funding for proven interventions, including Accelerated Education Programmes, community-based learning and low-technology remote learning.
He identified equity, increased domestic financing and regional cooperation as key priorities, with the ACCELERATE+ conference focused on using evidence and research to strengthen education responses for vulnerable and out-of-school children.
