Kumasi: Education leaders undergo capacity building 

Some 70 education leaders in selected districts and municipalities in Ghana have completed a pilot project called the District Change Leadership Programme to boost their leadership capacities in Kumasi.

In a series of residential learning summits, the target participants - Change Leaders - were equipped with the skills, strategies and leadership capacities to help them build thriving learning ecosystems for children. 

From January to March 2023, Change Leaders in Kwahu Afram Plains North District and the Builsa North Municipality benefited from this pilot training. 

The first three districts to benefit in 2022 were Lambussie, Akuapem South and Bosome Freho. 

Through the District Change Leadership Programme, a network of educators and individuals is being targeted as part of the transformational agenda to support improvements to the education system in Ghana.

It was funded by Jacob’s Foundation – a philanthropic organisation that invests in education to support children to thrive. The programme was designed and delivered by White Loop, an international education consultancy and supported by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ghana.

UNICEF

The Education Specialist, UNICEF Ghana, Mr. Tillmann L. Guenther told participants in Kumasi that the programme was essential to improving children’s learning to be able to read and write. 

He said the project links with the Ministry of Education’s Education Sector Plan (ESP) 2018-2030 to promote quality education and learning.

“Achieving learning this, needs a holistic approach and more interventions and support also, from other sectors such as engagement of help, child protection, social welfare, work of different ministries and district officers," he added

Mr. Guenther said the Change Leaders were key actors in the building of Communities of Excellence as they will help improve the learning of children at the district level as well as having the influence to promote positive change.

Mr Guenther said the project was a reflection of UNICEF Ghana’s education sector programming and the organisation’s commitment to making sure that children had the necessary tools to reach their learning goals.

Facilitators

A Co-Lead Facilitator for White Loop in Ghana, Madam Jennifer Agyeman, , said the training will improve the educational system in Ghana, as well as foster a culture of diversity within communities.

“Through collaboration, we have come together to equip participants with leadership and collaboration skills as well as other tools to help them to be more influential," she said.  

Part of the learning involved challenging assumptions within communities so that behaviours could be changed and collaboration could be stronger.

Madam Agyeman was inspired by the commitment of the Change Leaders to take advantage of the programme to be able to learn and understand how to collaborate and run projects as well as take care of themselves.

Another Co-Lead Facilitator for White Loop and founder of The Fabulous Woman Network (a Kumasi-based NGO), Ama Duncan, said the programme was to enhance education and build the capacities of participants while connecting them to other people in the ecosystem in order to multiply their impact.

“This will sharpen participants to perform better in order to generate impact in their communities and to ensure that this impact is more sustained than before," she said.

She said, since supervision was key in the District Change Leadership Programme, it was important to effectively supervise and support children in order not to hinder their ability to learn.

The Chief of Kwahu Asabi and one of the participants Nana Otukwa VI, said since education goes beyond the classroom, it was important for community leaders to be part of the education process and play a role in providing diverse learning opportunities across districts.