Ghana launches 2026–2040 Foundational Learning Agenda to improve children’s literacy and numeracy

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for stronger coordination, effective monitoring and sustained investment in early education as Ghana launched a 15-year agenda to improve foundational learning and address gaps in basic education.

The initiative, known as the Flagship Foundational Learning Agenda (2026–2040), was launched in Accra on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at an event attended by the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, education officials, development partners, teachers and other stakeholders.

The agenda seeks to strengthen the quality of basic education by ensuring that children acquire essential skills in reading, writing and mathematics during their early years.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana had made considerable progress in expanding access to education, but the country needed to ensure that children were gaining meaningful knowledge and skills from their time in school.

She stressed that school enrolment alone was not enough, adding that the quality of learning children received was critical to their future opportunities and the country’s development.

The Vice President urged the Ministry of Education and its partners to build on successful educational interventions rather than introduce programmes that duplicated existing efforts.

She said effective coordination, regular monitoring of learning outcomes and timely adjustments would be necessary to ensure that the long-term agenda achieved its objectives.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang also highlighted the importance of Ghanaian languages in early childhood education, saying they provided an important means of helping young learners understand concepts and express themselves confidently.

She explained that nurturing children’s natural curiosity and allowing them to learn through familiar languages could strengthen their understanding and improve their early learning experiences.

The Vice President linked foundational learning to Ghana’s broader economic transformation, arguing that the country’s ambition to increase production, add value to its resources and create sustainable employment depended on the quality of education provided to children today.

She said the skills required by tomorrow’s workforce, including critical thinking, adaptability and problem-solving, had to be developed from the early stages of education.

As part of the initiative, the government has set a 2030 target to achieve significant improvements in foundational literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional development among children aged four to eight in public and low-fee private schools.

The target is expected to cover improvements across gender, geographical location, ability and socio-economic backgrounds. The programme is also expected to undergo a pilot phase, subject to Cabinet approval, before wider implementation.

The launch also featured the unveiling of the Foundational Learning Ecosystem Framework and strategic documents, the handover of learning materials, the inauguration of the National Foundational Learning Working Group and the signing of a National Foundational Learning Compact.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has also emphasised the government’s commitment to directing education investment towards foundational learning and addressing inequalities in the delivery of quality basic education.

The Vice President called on government institutions, teachers, parents, communities and development partners to maintain their commitment to the agenda.

She said improving foundational learning would require consistency, sustained attention and collective responsibility to ensure that every Ghanaian child acquired the skills needed to succeed in school and contribute to national development.