This month marked the end of our two year Transformational Teacher Training programme for the current cohort of 17 schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The teachers and headteachers are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver the Ghana Education Service endorsed curriculum, delivered through activity and play based learning. The teachers are now also able to act as mentors to future student teachers from OLA College of Education who will spend their placement year in the model practice classrooms that have been established over the course of this two year programme.

The closing ceremony for teachers and the headteachers took place at OLA College of Education’s Assembly Hall. The well organised and well attended event was described by many people as one of the best occasions they had ever witnessed. The ceremony was chaired by Prof. Anamuah Mensah, First Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, who was supported by the Cape Coast, KEEA and Shama Directors of Education, Dr. Mrs Kafui Etsey, Head of Early Childhood Education at University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Ghana Education Service Officers.

The Guest Speaker was the executive secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Mr. Charles Tsegah who was also the former Director General of Ghana Education Service. A group of the graduating teachers gave an excellent speech highlighting the successes of the programme in their classrooms, which was supported by drama sketches showing other teachers acting self registration, managing difficult behaviour, phonics time, and rotations. A best practice presentation from one of the teachers swept everyone off their feet.

The KEEA and Cape Coast Directors presented a brief report about the impact of the Transformational Teacher Training in schools in their respective districts and how other schools not on the training programme are learning from nearby Model Practice Classrooms.

The ceremony was also aired on the National TV in Ghana, we are hoping to get a copy of the broadcast and will share it as soon as we can.

Dr. Etsey was so impressed with the way the OLA Assembly Hall had been set up to recreate a kindergarten classroom, including learning centres, table top activities and talk walls, that she contacted her UCC students to come and see. Second year students of Early Childhood Education from UCC came to witness the occasion in their number.

It was an amazing occasion and a fantastic team effort for everyone in Ghana. Here are some photos from the day and we also have a heart warming video that includes all the schools and student teachers from the programme saying a big thank you to the kindergarten teachers and head teachers.