Ghana program

Our program in Ghana strengthens education systems and child protection by improving foundational learning, promoting evidence-based policies, and expanding impactful interventions through national and local collaborations.

Education in Ghana faces significant challenges. Many children are out of school, and learning outcomes are inadequate, particularly across regional and gender divides. Child labor is a major issue, especially in cocoa-growing areas, where 1 in 2 children in agricultural households are involved in cocoa-related work (NORC, 2020). Our program in Ghana addresses these challenges by strengthening education systems and child protection at both national and local levels.  We focus on improving foundational skills, promoting socio-emotional learning, and reducing child labor through evidence-based interventions and collaborative partnerships.

To implement this approach, we have established the SCALE Co-Funding Mechanism, Communities of Excellence, and an Education Evidence Lab, each playing an essential role in strengthening education systems, promoting evidence-based policies, and expanding impactful interventions.

System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence (SCALE) Co-Funding Mechanism (cFMx)

The Jacobs Foundation, Botnar Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, and 10 cocoa and chocolate companies have formed the System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence (SCALE) Funders, collectively contributing $40M to improve foundational learning in Ghana. The $40m SCALE funds were matched by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Multiplier Fund and along with additional grants, a total of $118.8M of Additional Financing (AF) will support the MoE led Ghana Accountability For Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP). The Additional Financing will support the scale-up of Differentiated Learning through teacher training and teaching and learning resources. It will expand GALOPs coverage from approximately 10,000 to over 15,000 public schools. This expansion will benefit all Ghanaian public kindergartens and all public primary schools. Key additional interventions, such as the scale up the Communities of Excellence initiative, improving holistic learning outcomes in 100 districts, and operationalizing the Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab) to promote evidence-based policies and practices, will be included under GALOP AF.

Communities of Excellence (CoEs)

The Communities of Excellence drive transformation from the grassroots level. These communities assess local challenges, set goals, and implement evidence-based policies and practices that address district-specific needs.

By empowering stakeholders and fostering accountability, CoEs help build inclusive, equitable systems that improve education quality and ensure safer environments for children.

Education Evidence Lab (EdLab)

We have partnered with Ghana’s research institutions to establish the Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab). This collaborative platform strengthens the generation, dissemination, and application of research, ensuring evidence-based decision-making throughout the educational system. The GEEDLab also provides critical data and insights to support the Communities of Excellence, ensuring that interventions are both effective and sustainable.

National Collaborations

Our partnership with the Ministry of Education further strengthens SCALE’s impact through a new primary year’s assessment, which emphasizes social and emotional skills alongside foundational learning; and the National Education Leadership Institute, which enhances the capacity of school leaders and educators to drive change across Ghana.

Through this program, we are committed to building an equitable, evidence-based education system in Ghana that supports every child’s learning and development while addressing critical child protection challenges.