The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has promised to introduce what it has termed ‘Bright Beginnings’ to help revive and repurpose early childhood education in the country.
The initiative forms part of efforts by the party to reset the education sector, which it accuses the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) of distorting.
According to Dr. Apaak, the sectoral spokesperson for education for the John Dramani Mahama 2024 campaign, the initiative is for the well-being of Ghanaian children and facilitates seamless integration into continuous schooling and lifelong learning.
He also outlined nine other initiatives a new NDC government will pursue if former President John Dramani Mahama is elected as President to enhance basic education.
The Builsa South MP announced that the NDC will launch a ‘Furniture for All Initiative’ to address the acute deficit at the basic level in partnership with the local carpentry and furniture industry, significantly improve the pupil-to-textbook ratio through the provision of curriculum-based text books, and embark on an aggressive infrastructure drive to address the increasing phenomenon of schools under trees and rehabilitate dilapidated school buildings.
The party under the presidency of Mr. Mahama will also initiate a ‘SmartStart Curriculum” for greater integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), coding, and digital literacy and TVET into the basic education curricula; increase and ensure regular payment of capitation and feeding grants; promote digital literacy at the basic level by providing computer facilities installed with digitised learning materials and upgrading ICT laboratories; and promote solar energy as the primary energy source for school facilities.
*Early Childhood and Basic Education*
The next NDC/Mahama government will:
1. introduce the ‘Bright Beginnings Initiative’ to revive and repurpose early childhood education for the well-being of Ghanaian children and facilitate seamless integration into continuous schooling and lifelong learning;
2. initiate a policy to integrate early childhood education into basic education supported by appropriate infrastructure;
3. establish a Department for Early Childhood Development under the Ministry of Education with a special mandate to promote early childhood education;
4. launch a ‘Furniture for All Initiative’ to address the acute deficit at the basic level in partnership with the local carpentry and furniture industry;
5. significantly improve the pupil-to-textbook ratio through the provision of curriculum-based text books;
6. embark on an aggressive infrastructure drive to address the increasing phenomenon of schools under trees and rehabilitate dilapidated school buildings;
7. initiate a ‘SmartStart Curriculum” for greater integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), coding and Digital Literacy and TVET into the basic education curricula;
8. increase and ensure regular payment of capitation and feeding grants;
9. promote digital literacy at the basic level by providing computer facilities installed with digitized learning materials and upgrade ICT laboratories;
10. promote solar energy as the primary energy source for school facilities.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
