DFID Ghana Country Director's speech at CBE Lesson Learning workshop
Department for International Development Ghana Country Director, Philip Smith delivered a speech at the CBE Lesson Learning workshop.
Honourable Minister of Education,
Chief Director of Ministry of Education,
Director General of Ghana Education Service,
Mr Chair,
Team Leader of CBE,
Distinguished representatives of 바카라 사이트,
Country Directors and other representatives of CSOs/NGOs,
Members of the Press Corps, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon everyone.
As Country Director for the UK바카라 사이트檚 Department for International Development in Ghana, it is a pleasure to join you today to celebrate the long history of achievements of the Complimentary Basic Education (CBE) programme.
Education has the power to change lives and to open the door to better employment, more active citizenship and well-informed health decisions that can benefit future generations.
A good education can transform the prospects of poor and marginalised children and CBE is a programme where we have seen this happening.
With children unable to go to school due to poverty, distance to schools or family demands, this programme has enabled almost 250,000 children to have a second chance at an education and given them the opportunity to transform their lives through DFID and USAID funding.
The evidence base that you have heard about today demonstrates the impact of the programme:
- In improving learning outcomes 바카라 사이트� in the last cycle 55% of learners had reached proficiency in numeracy from a baseline of just 4%;
- In forming a bridge to education that enables children to progress and stay in school - 90% of learners from the first cycle (2013/14) have remained in school.
- And, in contributing to creating a positive learning experience for children and changing the perceptions of parents and communities about education.
As we reach the end of this phase of support from DFID/USAID for CBE, it is evident that the capacity-building approach of districts, Implementing Partners and the Ghana Education Service working together and supported by Crown Agents, has paid dividends in order to enable CBE to be sustained in future years by the 바카라 사이트 of Ghana.
But whilst we celebrate CBE바카라 사이트檚 achievements today, the scale of the challenge remains. Approximately 450,000 children between the ages of 6 and 14 remain out of school in Ghana.
These children represent a lost opportunity for Ghana바카라 사이트檚 development. We must continue to ensure the sustainability of CBE바카라 사이트檚 approach, which has proven to be effective and successful, as Ghana moves beyond aid and aims to deliver on its commitment to achieving SDG 4.
Honourable Minister, the UK commends the 바카라 사이트 of Ghana for its admirable vision of Ghana 바카라 사이트榖eyond aid바카라 사이트�.
His Excellency the President바카라 사이트檚 vision for a self-reliant Ghana is inspiring and is applauded by the UK and all development partners. In the long term, economic development with investment and, critically, jobs is the sustainable pathway to self-reliance.
However, 바카라 사이트淕hana Beyond Aid바카라 사이트� must also address the issue of why, despite record economic growth, inequality in Ghana is rising. New data from the GLSS shows that that the gap between regions and between rural and urban areas remains wide, and in some cases is worsening.
We need clarity on how the 바카라 사이트淏eyond Aid바카라 사이트� will be implemented. It has so far focused only on investment, infrastructure and trade and there is a risk that 바카라 사이트, and development partners, shift their gaze from the immediate task of improving the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in Ghana.
Ghana Beyond Aid can바카라 사이트檛 just be about Ghana바카라 사이트檚 바카라 사이트渟elf-reliance바카라 사이트� through industrialization. It has to be address the 바카라 사이트渟elf-reliance바카라 사이트� of the poorest and most marginalized Ghanaians 바카라 사이트� including the 450,000 children who remain out-of-school in Ghana.
And that is what is particularly exciting about the CBE programme. What we have here is a programme that has been truly transformational for many of the poorest, rural children and communities 바카라 사이트� giving them access to an education, supporting them to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills, and ensuring that they continue to learn and progress through the formal school system.
What is also exciting is the partnership with the Ministry of Education and its agencies on this programme, their commitment to directly implement and put in place the policy environment to oversee their own implementation but also that of others, effectively engaging other partners to invest in Ghana바카라 사이트檚 children.
CBE is a programme that demonstrates the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda in practical and tangible terms 바카라 사이트� and a Ghana Beyond aid that looks to a day when Ghana바카라 사이트檚 education sector is financed to enable every young child, boy and girl, to have access to education.
As the UK, we are proud to have supported and worked with the 바카라 사이트 on the CBE programme. DFID will continue to support the Ministry of Education to reach and transform the lives of some of the most marginalized children in Ghana.
As the 바카라 사이트 takes on the leadership and funding of this programme, DFID will support that transition with technical assistance and some continued transitional funding.
We are grateful to all stakeholders for CBE바카라 사이트檚 achievements and I want to acknowledge and thank our partners on CBE:
- The Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service and the National Service Secretariat for their enthusiasm and commitment to the CBE programme;
- Our Implementing Partners (Afrikids, Action Aid, ProNet, LCD, GILLBT, Care, PLAN, IBIS/OXFAM, School for Life, and World Education);
- I want to acknowledge and thank Crown Agents, Associates for Change and UNICEF, as well as our research partners IMC Worldwide, the University of Sussex, the University of Cambridge, RTI, PAB consulting and JEAVCO Associates;
- I want to particularly thank Janice Dolan, DFID바카라 사이트檚 Education Adviser, who leaves Ghana this month after 3 successful years.
Finally I want to pay tribute to the communities and the community based facilitators who have made the programme the success that it is.
We have all been on a journey together for the past five years, one which has transformed the lives of almost 250,000 Ghanaian children.
We thank you for joining with the United Kingdom and the USA in this venture and we hope that CBE will continue to provide disadvantaged children across Ghana with a second chance at an education.
Thank you.