More than 122,000 children to benefit from phase two of Quality, Inclusive Childhood Education project

The phase two of the Quality and Inclusive Early Childhood Education Services for all Children (QAIECE 2) project has begun with the aim to improve the quality of public kindergarten (KG) education opportunities in the North East Region.

This is to support the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of 122,249 children comprising 59,226 males and 63,023 females aged four to five years in 30 communities in the East Mamprusi and West Mamprusi Municipalities of the region.

Key achievements expected under the phase two of the project includes the construction of 10 fully furnished KG and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, 10,812 workbooks for KG pupils, digital equipment for six target schools, five boreholes, training of 136 teachers in the new KG curriculum and ICT use, and training of 120 community facilitators to serve as support staff in target KGs.

The rest would be development of a manual for the management and maintenance of school facilities, training of 285 school management committee/parent-teacher association members on their roles and resource mobilization, and the identification and support for 224 vulnerable children.

The 2.14 million United States dollar three-year (April, 2025 to December, 2027) project is led by  ChildFund Korea, and jointly implemented by Children Believe Ghana and AG CARE.

Mr Donghyun Lee, Country Director for Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), speaking during the launch at Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi Municipality, said it was to build on the foundations of the phase one of the project, which ended last year.

He said, “This launch marks not only the continuation of a successful initiative but also our deepened commitment to the future of early childhood education in Ghana.”

He said, “Through phase one of the project, we saw tangible improvements in KG infrastructure, teacher development, and parental awareness; three pillars that support quality early learning environments.”

He added that “Today, we build upon that foundation. The phase two will reach even more children, communities, and educators with the aim of expanding access to quality public KG education for four to five year-olds.

Mr Lee emphasised that “But our goal is more than expansion; it is about deepening impact and ensuring long-term sustainability of early childhood development in Ghana.”

He said an endline research conducted to ascertain the impact of the phase one of the project revealed that northern Ghana was still facing significant challenges in the provision of KG education to deserving children.

He said, “One worrying situation the research observed is the lack of qualified teachers in the region; of the nine schools assessed, only seven out of 40 teachers had qualifications in early childhood education.”

He said the key achievements expected under the phase two of the project would improve on the quality of public KG education opportunities for children aged four to five years in the two municipalities in the region.

Madam Esenam Kavi De-Souza, Country Director of Children Believe Ghana, said the organisation, recognised  the importance of “Starting Right.”

She emphasised that “The early childhood period provides a window of opportunity that must be maximised to provide the right foundation for children. It is imperative to recognise that a child cannot wait for primary school to start learning.”

The importance of early learning is highlighted by Sustainable Development Goal (4), which seeks to ensure that by 2030, “All girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.”

Madam De-Souza said early learning (including pre-primary education) was an essential vehicle for achieving Universal Primary Education and appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to prioritise early childhood education in their Medium-Term Development Plans.

She called on the government “To increase its budgetary allocation and disbursement to early childhood education to lay the best foundation for the future human capital of our dear nation.”

Miss Beuniel Ko, Country Programme Manager for ChildFund Korea, noted that the phase two of the project was not just about buildings, books, or materials, saying it was about giving children the space to dream.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education, whose speech was read on his behalf by Nana Baffour Awuah Richard, Director in-charge of Pre-Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education, expressed gratitude to the Korean Government for providing the funding for “This excellent and timely investment.”

He lauded the partners for the project and assured them of proper use of the facilities for the development of the people.

He pledged the government’s commitment to improving early childhood education in the country and appealed to development partners for support in this direction.

Mr Ibrahim Tia, North East Regional Minister,  highlighted the gains made during the phase one of the project and pledged to ensure that the investment that would be made during the phase two would go directly to the beneficiaries.

He entreated MMDAs to prioritise education and the project communities and to work with the Directorates of Education in the two municipalities to ensure value for money.

Source: GNA