Ghana’s education minister calls for data-driven action during crises — MyJoyOnline
Ghana’s Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, called on policymakers, researchers and development partners to direct investments toward addressing the learning crisis in West Africa based on evidence. A statement on his behalf was read by Deputy Minister of Education Clement Abas Apaak at the opening of the Second ACCELERATE+ High-Level Conference on Education in Emergencies in Accra, MyJoyOnline reports.
Investing in system resilience
Iddrisu said that education responses to emergencies have for too long been driven by urgency alone. According to him, actions without an evidence base can lead to the inefficient use of limited resources and fail to help the children for whom such programmes are intended.
The minister urged researchers to present findings clearly, promptly and in a form suitable for practical application. He recommended that policymakers use this evidence when drafting budgets, while development partners should align their programmes with national priorities and long-term commitments.
He also stressed the need to invest in the resilience of education systems before crises arise: conducting risk analyses, preparing emergency action plans and developing safe school infrastructure.
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Education amid conflicts and disasters
The conference is organised by the civic education organisation Associates for Change together with Nigeria’s Centre for the Studies of the Economies of Africa and Burkina Faso’s Centre for Studies, Research and Training for Social and Economic Development. It brings together officials, researchers, educators, innovators, development partners and financial institutions from West Africa and other regions.
Participants are discussing education in emergencies and resilient education systems, foundational learning, e-learning, inclusion, educational innovation, social protection, teacher well-being and safe learning environments. Associates for Change Director Leslie Casely-Hayford called for new approaches to ensure that children affected by conflict, displacement, school closures or teacher shortages do not lose access to education. She also called for teachers to receive psychosocial support before being deployed to vulnerable communities affected by conflict.
According to estimates in an Education Cannot Wait study published in June 2023, about 72 million children affected by crises are out of school. Another 127 million students do not achieve minimum learning outcomes because of disruptions to education systems, resource shortages and protracted emergencies.
