Advancing Early Childhood Education in Ghana: My Commitment as Chair of the National Steering Committee
Today, Tuesday, 13th May, 2025, I had the distinct honour to chair the National Steering Committee for Early Childhood Education at the UNICEF National Headquarters. I view this opportunity from the perspective of the Deputy Director General in charge of Quality and Access (Q&A) at the Ghana Education Service (GES), compelling me further in championing causes that ensure every child in Ghana is afforded a strong educational foundation.
Early childhood education is an essential period for structuring learning, social skills, and emotional development through an entire lifetime. These years are crucial for the development of cognitive, language, pre-literacy, and numeracy skills in children. Recognizing this, the GES, together with UNICEF, strives to develop a system of inclusive and high-quality early childhood education that does not leave any child behind.
The National Steering Committee for Early Childhood Education is a platform that brings together stakeholders from several sectors to forge policies, develop strategies, and implement programs for improving early childhood education on a national scale. Our work involves more than just enhancing access; quality is of equal concern.
As Chair, I will seek to apply my experience as an educational leader to facilitate discussions and partnerships and ensure that all decisions are data-driven and child-focused. We want a learning environment that is safe, caring, and inclusive for every Ghanaian child, no matter his or her background.
This is not just a responsibility attached to my profession; it is my personal commitment to the nation’s future. Every child deserves a fair chance in life, and quality early childhood education is one of the most powerful ways we can give them that chance.
I invite all stakeholders, whether they are educators, parents, policymakers, or community leaders, to join hands with us as we build a brighter future for our children, one in which children can grow with skills, confidence, and knowledge to thrive.
Let us move forward together, ensuring that every Ghanaian child has a right to quality education from the onset.
#EarlyChildhoodEducation #QualityEducationForAll #GES #UNICEF
Dr. Munawaru Issahaque, Deputy Director General for Quality and Access, GES.
