The Paramount Queen Mother of the Agona Nsaba Traditional Area in the Central Region, Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam III, has called on the government to increase investment in early childhood education, describing it as the foundation upon which Ghana’s entire education system is built.
She expressed concern over what she described as the continued neglect of preschools and kindergartens, particularly in rural communities, while significant attention and resources are directed towards Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) education.
According to Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam III, inadequate investment in early childhood education could have far-reaching consequences for the quality of education at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels.
She said children who do not receive the necessary foundation during their formative years may face difficulties as they progress through the education system.
Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam III made the call during the commissioning of an ultra-modern Kindergarten block constructed for the Nsaba Presby D/A Primary School in the Agona East District of the Central Region.
Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam iii, paramount Queen mother Nsaba traditional area
The facility was constructed by the Okura Project and its partners in collaboration with the office of the Paramount Queen Mother to improve the learning environment for children in the community.
The new Kindergarten block is expected to provide a more conducive environment for early childhood learning and address some of the infrastructure challenges confronting the school.
Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam III noted that many kindergarten schools, particularly those in rural communities, continue to operate without adequate classrooms, furniture and teaching and learning materials.
She said such challenges affect the quality of teaching and learning and could undermine efforts to provide children with a strong educational foundation.
“The government must prioritise the well-being of early childhood education because that is where the foundation of every child begins,” she stressed.
The Paramount Queen Mother urged policymakers and other stakeholders in the education sector to give greater attention to early childhood education by providing the infrastructure, teaching materials and other resources required to support effective learning.
She also encouraged development partners, traditional authorities, private organisations and individuals to complement government efforts by supporting schools in underserved communities.
Meanwhile, Co-founder of the Okura Project and partners, Mr Syprus Nii Sackey, urged the management of the Nsaba Presby D/A Primary School to prioritise the maintenance of the newly constructed facility.
He advised the school authorities to keep the block clean and ensure that the various facilities are properly maintained to prolong their lifespan.
Syprus Nii Sackey, Co-founder Okura project and partners
Mr Sackey said the manner in which the school maintains the new Kindergarten block would influence the organisation’s decision to consider the community for additional development projects in the future.
He therefore appealed to the school authorities, teachers and the community to take ownership of the facility and ensure that it remains in good condition.
The Agona East District Education Director, Mrs Phyllis Asante Krobea, expressed profound gratitude to Nana Adwoa Nkansah Eduam III, the Okura Project and its partners for supporting the school with the new facility.
She said the intervention would contribute to improving the learning environment for children in the area and complement efforts by the Ghana Education Service to provide quality education.
Mrs Krobea assured the donors that the Education Directorate, together with the management of the school, would ensure that the facility is properly maintained and used for its intended purpose.
She further appealed to other benevolent organisations, corporate institutions and individuals to emulate the gesture and support educational development in the Agona East District.
According to her, continued support from non-governmental organisations and individuals would help address infrastructure and resource gaps and create better learning conditions for pupils across the district.
The commissioning of the Kindergarten block was therefore seen as an important intervention towards improving early childhood education in Nsaba and providing young learners with a more conducive environment in which to begin their educational journey.
Story by Joseph Cobbina
