Education Minister affirms Ghana’s readiness to host ACCELERATE+ Conference

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Ghanaian Minister of Education, declared the country prepared to host the Second High-Level Conference on Education in Emergency (ACCELERATE+) on September 29-30 at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra. The conference's timing is crucial due to the region's ongoing disasters and conflicts that have hindered access to and delivery of education.

Mr Iddrisu discussed this during a briefing with a delegation from Associates for Change, the conference's organizer, and the conference's co-organizers, the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in Nigeria, and the Centre for Studies, Research and Training for Social and Economic Development (CERFODES) in Burkina Faso.

The conference will convene policymakers, researchers, education professionals, innovators, development partners, and financial entities from West Africa and international regions. Its primary focus areas encompass education during emergencies and resilient systems, foundational learning, e-learning, inclusivity, and innovative education; social protection, teacher welfare, and safe educational environments.

The Minister proposed setting up a dedicated emergency fund to aid education during crises, pledging part of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for emergency responses, particularly to repair school infrastructure after disasters. He expressed optimism that the subregion's stakeholders would back the conference's communiqué to bolster funding for education in emergencies and introduce cutting-edge digital learning methods and tools to aid students from kindergarten to junior high school.

Dr Leslie Casely-Hayford, Director of Associates for Change, emphasized the need for innovative strategies to guarantee that children affected by conflict and emergencies continue to receive education. She stressed that children should not lose their right to education due to conflict, displacement, school closures, or the absence of teachers.

Dr Casely-Hayford highlighted that the conference's focus on West Africa was due to the region's significant education challenges stemming from conflicts in the area. She called for psychological support for teachers to prepare them for deployment in fragile and conflict-affected communities.