Shared values, cultural diversity and education :
What to learn and how ?

The National Forum to Share Learning on Good Educational Practices

Ghana

The National Forum to Share Learning is initiated by Ghana Education Service (GES) as part of the educational reform. It highlights stories of success in the daily educational practices of Ghana. Facing the numerous challenges in Ghana education (illeteracy, lack of material, inaccessibility of schools), concerned people are urged to find ways to contribute to resolving the problems. The National Forum aims at providing opportunities for people of all levels in the educational system to share their contributions in innovations and promotion of quality education for the country.

First, the Ghana Education Service (GES) conducted a comprehensive study on school management/supervision, on teaching/learning methods as well as on school access and participation. Then, at a national forum, from all ranks of the GES, all regions of Ghana, and from NGOs working actively in basic education, 300 people shared their experiences. The main feature of this forum was a series of «open sessions » on good practices. At each session, one person would make a presentation about the good practice she/he was engaged in. After the presentation, participants argued about their responses and experiences. The importance of activity-oriented forum is highlighted to bring teaching to life and make learning fun (using of role-play to teach, teaching through pratical demonstration, giving pupils a vocal role in the classroom). The GES also focuses on the Teaching/Learning materials created from local resources. It insists on the interest of those resources and organizes an exhibition of some practices. An example is the kit for teaching the Universel Reading Technique (The URT was designed in 1990 by Mr S. Aggrey-Forson -director of The Ghana Education Staff Development Institute- and Ajumako -a specialist in reading methodology). As a result, GES could identify clearly the problems and objectives in the nation's education. It also produced some publications as well as a compendium of good educational practices, which would help teachers to improve the quality of education.

The importance of the project is that it valorizes the implementers of the good practices. It shows how they manage to improve the quality of education without privileged circumstances or extra resources. The act of sharing and disseminating these good practices also extend their benefits to other educational units.

Mr John Kusi-Achampong
Secretary-General, Ghana National Commission for UNESCO
Ministry of Education
P.O. Box 2739 Accra
Tel. : (233-21) 666-042
Tel./Fax : (233-21) 662-718 ; 664-067
E-mail : unescogh@libr.ug.edu.gh

Institutional Partners :
Schools, donor agencies and NGOs
Financial Partners :
USAID ( Quality Improvement in the Primary Schools Programme )

The project began in April 1999

Publication : Ghana Education Service, Good Practices in Basic Education (3 volumes), based on the research conducted in preparation for the National Forum to Share Learning on Good Educational Practices, USAID/Ministry of Education of Ghana, April 1999