Ghana’s Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has signed a significant US$40 million commitment to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to support basic education in Ghana.
The minister explained that the initiative is a collaboration between the Jacobs Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, and ten prominent cocoa and chocolate companies, collectively known as SCALE Funders.
The SAGE consortium includes organizations such as Oxfam Ghana, SEND Ghana, and the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC).
The partnership focuses on improving learning outcomes, promoting inclusive education, and strengthening community engagement in the education sector.
Commenting on the initiative, the minister noted that the government remains committed to fostering meaningful improvements in foundational learning in Ghana through a distinctive co-funding mechanism.
He revealed that the joint contribution of US$40 million to the GPE Partnership Compact has been matched by the GPE Multiplier Fund, which adds another US$40 million to this vital cause.
Haruna Iddrisu states that this partnership greatly enhances the resources available for basic education in Ghana.
He further announced that under the direction of Ghana’s Ministry of Education, the funds from SCALE and the GPE Multiplier will support activities associated with the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project Additional Financing 2 (GALOP AF 2) mechanism.
He assured that the collaboration promises to have a substantial impact on the education landscape in Ghana.
A consortium of over 10 philanthropic and private partners raised the US$40 million from SCALE, according to DevelopmentAid.
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) matched this funding with an additional US$40 million through its Multiplier Fund.
The funds will support Ghana’s flagship education program, GALOP, which aims to improve learning resources, teaching quality, and governance structures.
The program will focus on improving foundational learning, supporting emotional and social well-being, and expanding access to education nationwide.
The SCALE Initiative will extend differentiated learning approaches to over 15,000 schools, directly benefiting approximately 2 million Ghanaian children.
Per the details of the agreement, the establishment of the Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab) at the Ministry of Education will support evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that education decisions are informed by data and community needs.
Commenting on the initiative Simon Sommer, Co-CEO at the Jacobs Foundation stated that SCALE will offer other benefits aside from the financial commitment.
“Besides the financial commitment, the SCALE partnership offers the expertise of a broad range of organizations who have helped to transform the way in which evidence is applied to education. SCALE will build on the successes of other international models, including the Jacobs Foundation-led Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) in Côte d’Ivoire which has been recognized by the World Bank. In Ghana, we expect 2 million children to benefit from evidence-based learning that will extend across 100 cocoa districts.”
Combined with further contributions from the GPE Systems Transformation Grant and the Early Learning Partnership Multi-Donor Trust Fund, SCALE now mobilises a total of USD 118.8 million in supplementary financing for Ghana’s national education strategy.
The SCALE initiative takes inspiration from the successful Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF) in Côte d’Ivoire, recognized by the World Bank as a model for collaborative education financing. It showcases how pooling resources and aligning diverse stakeholders can create sustainable, systemic change.
The partnership is expected to enhance educational quality and equity, aligning with the nation’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018-2030) and the Sustainable Development Goals.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
