By Kizito CUDJOE
Three philanthropic foundations and more than 10 cocoa and chocolate companies have pledged US$40million to improve basic education in Ghana.
This brings total support under the joint financing scheme to US$118.8million, as disclosed at a partnership signing ceremony in Accra.
The new funding will support the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) – a government-led initiative focused on improving literacy, numeracy and classroom instruction in low-performing schools.
This investment forms part of a co-financing mechanism known as the System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence (SCALE). The platform pools resources from private donors and development partners and builds on a previous US$38.8million grant, alongside additional support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
Philanthropic partners involved include the Jacobs Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation and Fondation Botnar.
The US$40million announced is reportedly the largest sum raised for education by philanthropic and private partners globally – and has been matched by the GPE’s Multiplier Fund, bringing the total new investment to US$80million.
Together with earlier grants and complementary support, the US$118.8million total investment will be used to enhance teacher training, expand access to learning materials, strengthen school safety and inclusivity and promote the emotional and social wellbeing of children.
With an emphasis on evidence-based interventions, funders behind SCALE aim to support systemic improvements in Ghana’s education sector at local, regional and national levels.
Ghana’s education system continues to face persistent challenges, including teacher shortages and low foundational learning outcomes. Since its launch in 2020, GALOP has targetted over 10,000 schools – offering teacher training and tools for performance monitoring.
This latest funding will support the continuation and expansion of GALOP under its new phase – GALOP Additional Financing 2 – which will scale interventions to all public schools nationwide.
Resources will support training teachers, providing learning materials and initiatives to promote schoolchildren’s emotional wellbeing, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Speaking in an interview on the ceremony’s sidelines, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu said: “We are excited by this development because Ghana will be a model for many African countries to learn from – that you can generate finance to support education without looking directly to bilateral partners but rather private sector players, NGOs, the World Bank and GPE among others”.
He added that GALOP has already made a notable impact on foundational literacy and numeracy, adding: “If you focus on early childhood development and a child gets it right at 6 years, you can predict the next 80 years of that child.”
The minister earlier described the partnership as a timely opportunity. “This is an opportunity for us – with a shared vision, a shared partnership and a shared innovative financing model for education. And it could not have been done at a better time.”
SCALE’s long-term ambition is to reform how education is structured and delivered. By using evidence-driven methods and child-centred approaches, the initiative seeks to create learning environments where children can thrive.
In addition to school-based reforms, SCALE will also fund the ongoing Communities of Excellence programme that is active in many districts, particularly cocoa-growing areas. The initiative empowers local communities to play a role in decision-making within their education systems.
This comes amid ongoing efforts to tackle child labour in West Africa’s cocoa sector. According to estimates, 1.56 million children in Ghana and neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire are involved in child labour on family-run cocoa farms.
The SCALE initiative will also fund the establishment of a Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab) within the Ministry of Education, intended to improve evidence-based policymaking and planning.
Since 2020, GALOP has channelled US$218.7million into selected districts. Over the next four years, new funding will expand the number of beneficiary schools from 10,000 to 16,000 – along with 14,700 kindergartens.
The funds will support targetted, evidence-backed reforms to improve learning resources, teaching quality, and school governance systems.
Co-Chief Executive Officer-Jacobs Foundation, Simon Sommer said: “Besides the financial commitment, this SCALE partnership offers the expertise of a broad range of organisations who have helped to transform the way in which evidence is applied to education”.
Tom Hall, CEO-UBS Optimus Foundation added: “We believe that one of the most effective ways to give with maximum impact is collectively. Greater coordination boosts efficiency – by avoiding duplication, streamlining processes and leveraging each partner’s unique strengths and flexibility”.
Andrea Studer, CEO-Fondation Botnar noted: “Education systems must help young people thrive together in a changing world. This means going beyond academics to support their holistic development, including wellbeing and essential life skills like empathy, resilience and critical thinking”.
