In August 2023, a transformative project called “Strengthening Play-Based Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Ghana through Leadership Communities of Practice” was launched by four partners, namely VVOB-education for development, Sabre Education, Right To Play, and AfriKids. The initiative aims to create ‘Leadership Communities of Practice (LCoP),’ bringing together District ECE Coordinators, teachers, school leaders, and selected School Management Committee (SMC) members to enhance school leadership and support play-based early childhood education in local communities in Ghana.
Supported by the Jacobs Foundation, this 18-month project has established Leadership Communities of Practice in three districts across Ghana: Ho West district in the Volta Region, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem district in the Central Region, and Binduri district in the Upper East Region.
In this project, each Leadership Community of Practice consists of communities from two schools, one rural and one urban, that meet every two months to tackle specific challenges in their school community. Guided by trained facilitators, members collaborate to identify the needs for implementing quality play-based learning in kindergarten classrooms. Through shared leadership and inquiry, they develop community-based solutions.
Partners’ learning visit
The four partner organisations have been collaborating virtually each month to share experiences and learn from each other as they facilitate the project implementation in different districts. On June 10-11, 2024, they organised a field visit to the Ho West district to:
- Review the project’s progress
- Observe Leadership Communities of Practice sessions in practice
- Identify best practices and challenges
- Collect evidence for qualitative research on strengthening play-based ECE through LCoP.
Embracing the project model
Thirteen staff members from the partner organisations visited the District Director of Education for Ho West, Paulina Slyn Eworde Gobe, and the Volta Regional Director of Education, Francis Yaw Agbemadi.
Mr Francis commended the partners and the district for their efforts in bringing quality, equitable, and accessible education to Ghanaian children through the Leadership Communities of Practice project. “Anyone who invests in education is interested in transforming our future, as education continues to remain the solution to the world’s problems,” he said. He expressed his commitment to extending the project to other districts in the region, ensuring more learners benefit from the model. “Even if there are not enough resources, we are ready to offer additional support to cover other districts,” he added.
Community commitment
In Ho West, the two school communities that come together to form the LCoP are Abutia Kpota Primary School and Kpedze Primary School, both of which have kindergarten children. The team visited Abutia Kpota Primary School, a rural school with over 500 learners, and met with LCoP members from both school communities during their fourth session. Previous sessions had identified and addressed issues affecting early childhood education, with inadequate and inappropriate furniture in kindergarten classrooms being a priority.
David Sgbe, the School Management Committee chairman and LCoP member at Abutia Kpota Primary School, explained how the Leadership Communities of Practice sessions increased community ownership of school issues. “ECE was not valued at all. The chairs and tables were inadequate and inappropriate for kindergarten children, and some learners had to bring chairs from home,” he said. The LCoP members prepared an estimated budget of 65,000 Ghanaian Cedi (USD 425) for purchasing kindergarten tables and chairs. “We mobilised community members and asked for contributions during the Easter picnic. The Community Chief set an example by contributing a significant amount, on top of what the community members provided,” he added.
As a result, the school now has appropriate chairs and tables for all kindergarten learners, and the classrooms have been painted to create a more attractive and friendly learning environment. Additionally, the district received technical support from Right To Play on play-based learning, along with coaching and mentoring for teachers. These skills have helped teachers enhance their practice and improve learning outcomes.
During the visit, the team was welcomed with drumming, dancing, and cultural displays. They then toured kindergarten classrooms to observe lessons and witness the community’s transformation efforts firsthand. The team also visited Abutia Kpota Chief Togbui Tsali IV, who pledged his community’s full support in promoting the LCoP model. “As long as I’m alive, I will never let the project die,” said Togbui Tsali IV, who is currently writing a thesis on Communal Spirit/Labour for his master’s degree.
Reviving the communal spirit
Priscilla Walters, Head of the ECE Unit, Ghana Education Service (GES), joined the team and expressed gratitude to the partners for initiating the project and commended the district for embracing it. She appreciated the community engagement through LCoP, which she believes is reviving the communal spirit for the promotion of quality teaching and learning. “We are going back to our roots,” she said.
Project impact
Overall, the LCoP project has had a positive impact on all the implementing communities in the three selected districts, including Komenda – Edina – Eguafo – Abirem, Ho West, and Binduri. Communities have seen the need to support their children’s education rather than always waiting for government interventions. Enrolment has increased, classrooms are print-rich and both schools now have the recommended furniture for learners. Parents frequently visit schools and hold briefings with teachers on their children’s academic progress. Specifically in Ho West, government education officials have embraced the project model and have assured its extension to all schools in the Ho West district and the entire Volta region, following its observed successes.
The LCoP project is also in line with the African Centre for School Leadership(ACSL)’s goal to collaborate with key partners in the education sector to build a supportive school leadership system and improve teaching and learning outcomes. The ACSL is a coalition of partners in Africa coordinated by VVOB, the Association for Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA). The learnings from the project will ultimately benefit the Centre by enhancing its understanding of effective school leadership approaches and competences relevant to the African continent.
