Children Believe and its partners have commemorated this year's International Day of Education by focusing on Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the five regions of northern Ghana and the country at large.
During an event held in Tamale, Regional Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coordinators from the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, and Upper West regions presented the status of ECE in their respective regions. Their presentations revealed numerous challenges, including inadequate facilities such as water, sanitation, and hygiene amenities, as well as overcrowded classrooms with insufficient age-appropriate furniture and trained teachers.
The presentations highlighted a significant need for infrastructure improvement, with the North East Region requiring approximately 152 kindergarten classroom blocks to provide a conducive learning environment. Similar challenges were observed in the Northern Region, where many kindergarten pupils lacked age-appropriate furniture.
Mrs. Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Director of Children Believe, emphasized the importance of prioritizing ECE in the annual plans and budgets of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to address these challenges.
This year's International Day of Education was themed “Learning for Lasting Peace,” underscoring the vital role of education in promoting peace and stability.
Mrs. De Souza highlighted various challenges affecting the implementation of the ECE Policy in Ghana, including weak accountability in education management, inefficient planning and management of teacher-related issues, overage and underage enrolment, and inadequate budgetary allocation.
Children Believe has committed significant resources to the ECE sector, investing 70% of its annual program budget into ECE initiatives, including lower primary education.
Mr. Isaac Atta-Baah, the Principal Programmes Officer of Early Childhood Education at the Ministry of Education, discussed efforts to increase the budgetary allocation to the sector from 10% to 15%.
Madam Priscilla Andece-Walters, Acting Head of the ECE Unit at the Ghana Education Service (GES), emphasized the importance of community support in addressing ECE challenges.
Hajia Katumi Natogma Attah, the Northern Regional Director of Education, appealed for the recruitment of trained ECE teachers to address the shortage in the region and enhance the quality of early childhood education.