We are thrilled to share that we have officially started a new teacher training project in the Eastern Region of Ghana. This significant expansion has been funded with UK aid from the UK government and with match funding from Echidna Giving

Over the next three years this project will deliver districtwide in-service teacher training across four districts (Akwapem North, Akwapem South, New Juaben and Nsawam Addoayir), reaching over 900 teachers. It will also incorporate elements of the Fast-track Transformational Teacher Training project, to see us working with two more Colleges of Education (Presbyterian Women’s and Seventh Day Adventist) to establish a network of Model Practice Classrooms to serve student teachers at both of these colleges. This project will reach more people in three years then all of our projects to date have reached.  This project aims to reach at least 38,500 kindergarten children, who will receive a quality education through being taught in a more engaging way, equipping them with the foundation skills to succeed in primary school, and bringing proven later life benefits.

Our team has spent the summer months planning and preparing and earlier this month, in partnership with the Ghana Education Service, we held a launch event. The event brought together over 120 participants including officials from the Ghana Education Service, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, head teachers, representatives from the Colleges of Education as well as our research partner, Innovations for Poverty Action.

Speaking at the event, our Chief Operating Officer, Jon Beaulieu, shared that this project will support the roll out of the new tertiary and basic education curricula. Recognising that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Ghana Education Service training was happening on the new curriculum for basic education, the demonstration schools this project will create in each district will serve as a dynamic model for teachers to better understand the active play based methodology they will learn about. Jon also noted that in year two, training will be rolled out to all government kindergarten teachers across the four districts. Model Practice Classrooms will be established for student teacher observation and placements for the colleges of education. With Innovations for Poverty Action present, Jon highlighted the critical importance of rigorous research to produce evidence to inform policy and that a potential opportunity existed in our training work here.    

The various stakeholders at the launch expressed their support and readiness to fully implement the play based approach in the region. Find out more here 

The launch event also provided the opportunity to carry out one of the first activities of the project, the head teacher sensitisation. Head teachers were introduced to the structure of the training and told of the vital role their leadership will play in the successful implementation of the training programme. 

Watch this space for more updates from this project!