Strengthening foundational education: Government reaffirms commitment through strategic partnerships
The government has reaffirmed its strong commitment to strengthening the country’s foundational education system, recognising education from Kindergarten to senior high school as essential to national development, equity, and future workforce readiness.
Speaking during a courtesy call with the Jacobs Foundation Board, the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, underscored the importance of education to Ghana’s transformation agenda.
“Education remains central to Ghana’s development and transformation agenda. We commend the strong partnerships that have been built to support foundational learning, and we welcome continued collaboration that strengthens teaching, learning, and evidence-based policymaking for the benefit of every Ghanaian child,” she said.
Jacobs Foundation
The Jacobs Foundation is a Swiss-based philanthropic foundation dedicated to improving the learning and development of children and young people globally.
In Ghana, the Foundation partners the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to promote evidence-based approaches, strengthen education systems, and support scalable solutions that improve learning outcomes for children.
During their visit, the Jacobs Foundation Board is also engaging with the Ghana Education Service, development partners, civil society organisations, the World Bank, and private sector actors, as well as visiting schools to gain practical insights into classroom implementation and learning environments.
The visit underscores the Jacobs Foundation’s commitment to partnership, evidence-based practice, and collaborative action in advancing foundational learning in Ghana.
The engagement formed part of a high-level courtesy call by the Jacobs Foundation Board, during which both parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to improving learning outcomes for Ghanaian children.
Engagements
The Jacobs Foundation Board of Trustees will undertake an official visit to Ghana from January 20th to 23rd, 2026, to engage with senior government leaders and key education stakeholders on strengthening foundational learning outcomes.
The visit includes courtesy calls, technical engagements, and stakeholder dialogues aimed at reviewing progress, aligning priorities, and deepening collaboration in support of Ghana’s national education goals.
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, highlighted the government’s continued focus on the importance of collaborative philanthropy in strengthening the education system:
“Through initiatives such as GALOP AF2, largely supported through Jacobs Foundation efforts, Ghana continues to strengthen its education systems and invest in teacher development to ensure that foundational learning remains a national priority,” he explained.
A key element of Ghana’s reform agenda is the Ministry’s leadership in advancing an innovative blended financing model that brings together government resources, philanthropy, private sector investment, and development partner support.
Diverse funding sources
This approach is helping to create sustainable funding for the scaling of capacity-building initiatives for teachers, school leaders, and education institutions across the country.
By aligning diverse funding sources around shared national priorities, Ghana is strengthening accountability, expanding the use of evidence-based interventions, and accelerating progress in foundational learning outcomes—particularly in underserved communities.
Together, the Government of Ghana and the Jacobs Foundation continue to support reforms to improve learning outcomes nationwide, with a focus on strengthening instructional quality, building teacher capacity, and enhancing system effectiveness at the foundational level.
These reforms are designed to ensure that every child acquires the essential skills needed for lifelong learning and productive participation in the economy.
During a visit with the Jacobs Foundation delegation, the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, emphasised the value of philanthropic partnership.
“The Ministry of Education applauds the Jacobs Foundation and its partners for their contribution to Ghana’s foundational learning reforms, which have helped extend and strengthen learning interventions across the country,” he said.
