On Monday 5th February 2024, the Ministry of Education organized an orientation and sensitization workshop for Regional and MMD Directors on the Communities of Excellence Programme (CEP) in Accra. The workshop aimed to shed light on the progress made during the CEP piloting exercise and provide insights into implementing this initiative across all districts in Ghana.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, indicated that the piloting phase implementation of CEP in 245 schools across three districts – Akuapem South, Bosome Freho, and Lambussie – successfully concluded in 2022. Additionally, he mentioned that both T-TEL and UNICEF supported the implementation in 133 schools spanning two districts: Afram Plains and Builsa North.
The brainchild of the Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Communities of Excellence Programme aims to elevate learning outcomes by enriching resources at the school and community levels. The CEP is focused on foundational literacy and numeracy. This initiative seeks to intensify community and parental engagement in basic education, fostering improvement one community at a time.
The Three Focal Points of CEP
Communities of Excellence is focused on Culture, Skills and Collaboration.
Culture: This implies that both District Education Offices and basic schools are oriented towards learning, ensuring that each member within these institutions:
- Acknowledges that improving learning is their primary purpose.
- Grasps how their role contributes to enhancing learning and aligns with the responsibilities of others within the institution and beyond.
- Receives a clear set of priority actions communicated from the institution’s leadership.
- Regularly uses data to determine if activities are on track and leading to improved learning.
- Has access to the necessary tools for their tasks, whether it’s motorcycles and fuel for School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs) or chalk and textbooks for basic school teachers.
- Is motivated to deliver what is expected of them.
Skills: This refers to the capabilities, knowledge, and understanding of teachers, headteachers, and SISOs. This ensures that they comprehend the new basic school curriculum and possess adequate mastery of the required pedagogies. These competencies enable them to teach at the appropriate level, meet the requirements of the National Teachers’ Standards (NTS), and ensure effective learning for children.
Collaboration: This is an integral element of the culture centered on learning that is aimed to be cultivated within institutions. It involves fortifying connections among stakeholders and improving community and parental engagement in education, with a particular emphasis on literacy and social & emotional skills.
During the workshop, both the Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah, emphasized the importance of proper monitoring of CEP by the Regional and MMD Directors within the schools. They believe that CEP has great potential to positively impact the lives of students. They stressed that parents should be recognized as key stakeholders for the success of the CEP.
It takes a village to raise a child, and we are confident that all stakeholders will come together to ensure the success of this programme.
As a demonstration of their interest in this Ministry of Education initiative, Adom TV held a brief discussion with Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum after the workshop. The Minister expressed his confidence in the Directors who attended the workshop and looks forward to the programme making a significant impact on the learners.
Gh Educate is committed to providing you with all the developments regarding this programme.
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Nice initiative. Adutwum looks more like he knows what he’s doing.