Guidelines For Implementation of ECE Policy

GUIDELINES FOR THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION POLICY

IMPLEMENTATION
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education
Policy Implementation
CONTENTS
CONTENTS ii
FOREWORD v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
ACRONYMS ix
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF ECE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION 1
Background and Introduction 1
SDGs and ECE 1
Brief background of ECD in Ghana 1
Context of Early Childhood Education Policy 1
Legal and Policy Frameworks that Informed the Early Childhood Education Policy and Guideline 3
Purpose and Rationale for the ECE Policy Implementation Guideline 3
Objectives of the KG specific ECE Policy Implementation Guideline 4
Summary 5
CHAPTER TWO: TRENDS AND KEY ISSUES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 7
Introduction 7
Barriers and Bottlenecks that Shape Participation in ECE 14
Demand Barriers 14
Supply Barriers 15
Supply Bottlenecks 15
Summary 16
ii Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

CHAPTER THREE: THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION POLICY FRAMEWORK 18
Introduction 18
The Six Action Areas of the ECE Policy 18
CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS 23
Introduction 23
Critical Agencies and Implementers and their Roles 26
Ministry of Education 26
Pre-Tertiary Directorate 26
GES 27
Basic Education Division 27
ECE Division 27
NaCCA 28
NIB 28
NTC 28
Ministry of Gender and Children 28
Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service 29
Collaborating Stakeholders 29
Teacher Unions 29
Development Partners 29
CSOs (NGO/FBO/CBO) 30
The Media 30
Local Structures 31
MMDAs 31
SMC/PTA 31
Summary 75
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation iii

CHAPTER FIVE: MONITORING AND EVALUATION MECHANISMS 77
Introduction 77
Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms 77
Accountability tools for appraisal 79
Output of work 79
SPAM 79
Targets and indicators to measure accountability 80
National Assessment 80
School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) 81
NIB Inspection Report 81
Teaching Portfolios 82
Summary 83
Annexes 85
Annex ‘A’: Mapping of available guidance, tools 85
Annex ‘B’: Mapping of NGOs (ECD/KG) and National Technical Experts 91
iv Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

FOREWORD
Enabling all four to five-year-old children to achieve their full developmental potential is a
fundamental right and an essential requisite for sustainable development. Given the critical
importance of enabling children to make the best start in life, the Ministry of Education and
the Ghana Education Service (GES) have introduced an Early Childhood Education Policy
Framework (which includes a costed implementation plan and an M&E Framework), to serve
as enablers and strengthen the ECE sub-system for ECE implementation at national, regional,
district and school levels. However, implementation cannot be complete if there are gaps with
the ‘how and what to do for young learners in the ECE/KG space’.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has made available this guideline to serve as the basic
tool to address challenges facing ECE Practitioners and other institutions and organizations
delivering ECE across the country. Developed through a shared process based on collaboration
with regional, district and local partners, this guideline is expected to empower those working
in the ECE landscape to understand their roles and responsibilities so far as the provision and
delivery of KG specific ECE is concerned.
This ECE guideline contains five chapters, which relates to i) background and context of ECE
Policy implementation; ii) trends and key issues of ECE; iii) the ECE policy framework which
elaborates on activities and roles towards achieving the goals of the six action areas of the ECE
policy; iv) implementation mechanisms, and v) Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms. The
guideline is recommended to facilitate the implementation of the KG specific ECE Policy and
its accompanied costed implementation plan and the monitoring, evaluation and learning
framework.
The leadership of GES therefore expects all ECE Practitioners in the ECE/Kindergarten space
to use this guideline to enable them gain insight and understand how their various mandates
and roles reflect in the ECE Policy. Also, it should be used to develop innovative strategies
to engage and respond to the needs of targeted audience including parents and learners as
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation v

outlined in the Policy document.
The GES recognizes the important roles played by all ECE Practitioners, especially those in
the public sector and is committed to providing the skill and knowledge needed as a major
mechanism for change that is aimed at ensuring school readiness amongst our KG learners. It
is our wish that this guideline will stand the test of time and contribute towards strengthening
the ECE sub-system in Ghana.
Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa

Director-General
Ghana Education Service (GES)
vi Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) resonates with joy, as we launch the first ‘National
Early Childhood Education Policy’ and ‘Policy Implementation Guidelines’. This ECE Policy
Implementation guideline encapsulates the vision of Government of Ghana that human
development is fundamental to national success and ECE is the foundation upon which that
success is built.
The development of this ECE Policy Implementation Guideline could not have been possible
without the support of many people with the requisite knowledge and expertise in ECE. It is a
resourceful material that should encourage ECE Practitioners in the public and private sectors
to hold onto the noble chosen profession. Let us work in partnership to transform the ECE
sector through high quality programming.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) wish to express its gratitude to the entire national Technical
Working Group (TWG) that was drawn from the critical agencies of the MoE, NGOs especially
Right to Play, Sabre Trust Education, Innovation for Poverty Action, Lively Minds, CSOs and
other ECE providers who played active roles in developing this ECE Policy Implementation
Guideline. Special gratitude is extended to Bright Dey, Sulemana Yusif, Kojo Andrew Adu,
Kingsley Boachie, Bridget Kodadu-Gyamfi, Kwabena Gao, Rose Asamoah, Bernard Ayensu-
Djan, Robert Quansah, Foster Ntim, Patrick Arthur, Lawrence Sarpong, Regina Baiden, Tony
Dogbe and Berthy Kpiebaya. We are grateful to Margaret Okai and Dr Evelyn Oduro, who
are both retired Directors from the Basic Education Division-GES and National Teaching
Council-MoE respectively, for their invaluable contributions. Additionally, special thanks go
particularly, to our KG teachers and ECE Coordinators from both private and public schools
across the country, who were engaged in the development of this guideline.
We are also grateful to the National ECE Coordinator - Ms Vida Barbara Ntow, UNICEF Ghana
education specialist - Agnes Arthur, and the National Consultant who led the ECE Policy
development process - Dr Eric Daniel Ananga, for their invaluable inputs and coordination
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation vii

during the entire process of the KG specific ECE Policy Implementation Guideline development
process.
We thank UNICEF Ghana for their financial and technical support in the development of this
guideline.
Finally, my appreciation goes to my GES leadership – the two deputy directors-general of the
GES – Lawyer Anthony Boateng and Dr Kwabena Tandoh, whose leadership have enriched this
guideline.
viii Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

ACRONYMS
BED Basic Education Division

CoE College of Education
CoHBS Conference of Heads of Basic Schools
CSO Civil Society Organisation
DA District Assembly
DDE District Director of Education
DEO District Education Office
DEOC District Education Oversight Committee
DFID Department For International Development
DIC District Insert Committee
DTO District Training Officer
DTST District Teacher Support Team
ECE Early Childhood Education
EERT Education Emergency Response Team
EMIS Education Management Information System
ESP Education Strategic Plan
FBO Faith Based Organisation
FPMU Finance Procurement and Monitoring Unit
GES Ghana Education Service
GHS Ghana Health Service
GNCRC Ghana National Collation on the Rights of the Child
GNECC Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation ix

GPE Global Partnership for Education
HoS Head of School
HT Head Teacher
INSET In-service Education and Training
KG Kindergarten
LGS Local Government Service
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MMDA Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly
MoE Ministry of Education
MoGCSP Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
MoH Ministry of Health
MoLGRD Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
MRQA Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance
NAB National Accreditation Board
NaCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
NAS National Ambulance Service
NCCE National Commission for Civic Education
NCTE National Council for Tertiary Education
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NIB National Inspectorate Board
NMTEDP National Medium-Term Education Development Plan
NNTTC National Nursery Teacher Training Centre
NTC National Teaching Council
PBME Planning Budgeting Monitoring and Evaluation
x Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

PRESET Pre-service Education and Training
PT Pre-Tertiary
PTA Parent–Teacher Association
PTD Pre-Tertiary Division
RDE Regional Director of Education
REO Regional Education Office
RIC Regional Insert Committee
SEN Special Educational Needs
SHEERP School Health Education and Emergency Response Programme
SHEP School Health Education Programme
SMC School Management Committee
SPED Special Education Division
SRIM Statistics, Research and Information Management
SDG Sustainable Development Goal
TEI Teacher Education Institution
TLMs Teaching and Learning Materials
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNICEF United Nations International Children and Educational Fund
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation xiii

CHAPTER ONE:
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
OF ECE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
2 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT OF ECE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Background and Introduction

Early Childhood Education (ECE) aims at using a holistic approach to develop the social,
emotional, physical, spiritual, language and cognitive skills and learning of the child. Improving
early learning through quality ECE is critical to the building of the productive, competitive,
and resilient nation envisioned in Ghana’s Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018–2030). The
experiences of children during ECE equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills for
later schooling and lifelong learning.
The SDG target 4.2 reaffirms the international community’s focus on ensuring strong
foundations for all children in the youngest age group through early childhood care and
education. The SDG target on early childhood development, care and education is the only
one where two global indicators have been proposed: the participation rate in pre-primary
education, and the proportion of children who are developmentally on track. This reflects
both a great interest in early learning foundations but also uncertainties over the feasibility of
measuring early childhood development outcomes.
Brief background of ECD in Ghana

Context of Early Childhood Education Policy
Ghana implements a two-year KG as part of its commitment to a free and compulsory basic
education policy. Given the considerable investment Ghana has made in pre-primary education
over the last decade, it is important to build on it and make it more efficient, equitable and
inclusive, and effective if systemic efficiency is to be improved in line with the objectives of the
Education Sector Plan (ESP 2018–2030). Issues around planning and management, teachers,
curriculum, parents, and community engagement as well as monitoring, regulation and
quality assurance were identified as challenges in the ECE sub-sector.
For instance, appropriate age enrolment is a challenge which currently hampers the efficiency
Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 1

of the system. Issues related to over- and under-age enrolment at KG level have implications
for effectiveness and efficiency throughout all levels of education. Specific issues around KG
that are raised in the Education Sector Analysis include the following:
• Weak accountability in education management across the various levels, thus national,
regional district, school and community levels.
• Inefficient planning and management of issues related to teacher training, deployment,
retention and attrition
• Overage and underage enrolment, creating inefficiency in the system
• Inadequate budgetary allocation for service delivery and infrastructural provision
• Limited information on children with disabilities, resulting in weak systems for inclusion
• Quality of school infrastructure and provision of teaching and learning materials (TLMs)
have not kept pace with enrolment, leading to regional and district disparities
• Weak inter/intra-sectoral coordination, resulting in inefficient service delivery.
• Mismatch between parental expectation of how children learn and the play-based
pedagogy of the curriculum
Addressing the above issues require the coordinated effort of all the key stakeholders in the
sub-sector. The legal and policy basis for a coordinated effort aimed at improving KG education
include;
• The 1992 Constitution of Ghana
• Children’s Act (1998)
• Early Childhood Care and Development Policy (2004)
• Ministry of Education Act 778 (2008)
• Child and Family Welfare Policy (2014)
• Inclusive Education Policy (2015)

Legal and Policy Frameworks that Informed the Early Childhood
Education Policy and Guideline
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS
Ministry of Education’s Act
778 (2008)
Ghana’s Constitution (1992) The Act, provided a legal
Equal education Children’s Act (1998) backing for free access to
opportunities/facilities – basic basic education
LI.1705, 2002
(+KG) Educ shall be free and (mainstreamed 2 years of
available to all
KG education on 1st
September 2007)
Kindergarten
(KG) Education
Early Childhood Care Child and Family Welfare
and Development Policy (2014)
Policy (2004) Inclusive Education (IE) Strategy 1.2 (Early intervention
Policy (Costed through Social protection)
Implementation Plan)
Purpose and Rationale for the ECE Policy Implementation Guideline

The development of this ECE policy guideline and the Medium-Term Development Strategic
Plan (MTDSP) is to give assistance to stakeholders on how to implement the ECE policy to
the maximum. This Policy Implementation Guidelines has been designed for use as a regular
reference and resource, to support ECE practitioners. The guideline highlights key areas of
focus in the developed KG policy as well as some of the barriers and bottlenecks that hinder
ECE education in Ghana.
It presents to ensure responsibility and care for children as well as educate others in our various
districts and communities on the key principles of the ECE policy and its implementation. In
using this implementation guideline, the user will continue to learn how to respond to issues

related to school readiness.
Objectives of the KG specific ECE Policy Implementation Guideline

The objectives of the implementation guidelines are to:
• Create awareness of the existence of the ECE Policy
• Promote the involvement of parents and community members in children’s education
at the KG level,
• Increase awareness on the effects of overage and underage enrolments,
• Strengthen the capacity of teachers to use play-based pedagogy for teaching all KG
children,
• Create awareness about children with special needs education,
• Create awareness to support enrolment and retention of children from disadvantaged
backgrounds in school.
Action Areas
The focus of this implementation guideline is on the standardisation of the approaches related
to ensuring equitable and inclusive access, retention, and transition in the areas of:
• Planning and Management
• Curriculum Development and Implementation
• Pre-Service and In-Service Teacher Education and Training
• Family and Community Engagement
• Child-Friendly Safe Space and Environment
• Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance
How to Use this Policy Guideline Effectively
Stakeholders, who have direct and indirect responsibility for the effective and efficient
implementation of ECE in Ghana, need to understand how the ECE Policy goals, objectives
and strategies will be successfully achieved. It is expected that this guideline will be used

at all levels of the ECE sub-sector, thus from policy level, management level through to the
schools and community levels. All ECE practitioners and service providers at both national
and sub-national levels are expected to use this guideline to help achieve the intended goals
and objectives outlined in the ECE policy. The following are recommended to ensure effective
use of this guideline:
• Read, familiarize yourselves with and understand fully the ECE Policy framework.
• Take into consideration the peculiar challenge of the environment or community where
you want to implement recommended interventions,
• Know and understand the strategic indicators and targets in the ECE policy framework,
• Always consider a broader stakeholder consultation and participation where possible
• Seek further clarification and interpretation for areas of the guideline and/or the ECE
policy that you do not understand
• Monitor and evaluate your progress using the recommended Monitoring Regulation
and Quality Assurance tools
• Share your experiences, observations, findings with appropriate stakeholders and the
lead responsible institutions for further intervention developments
• Use the guideline as a quick reference material before, during and even after developing
and implementing an intervention activity or project
• Provide technical support to the district as an expert in Early Childhood Education

In summary
Early Childhood Education (ECE) aims at using a holistic approach to develop the social,
emotional, physical, spiritual, language and cognitive skills and learning of the child.
Issues around planning and management, curriculum, teachers, parents, and community
engagement as well as monitoring, regulation and quality assurance have been identified
as challenges in the ECE sub-sector. The legal basis for developing and implementing the
ECE policy has been shown.
CHAPTER TWO:
TRENDS AND KEY ISSUES IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

CHAPTER TWO: TRENDS AND KEY ISSUES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Introduction
Pre-school education could benefit children’s future schooling if it provides children with
quality education and if it helps to combat social disadvantage (Siraj-Blatchford, et al.
2008). In many communities, good quality pre-schools help children to deal with negative
consequences of poverty, malnutrition, and ill health, which many children in some areas had
accumulated from birth until they reached pre-school age. However, some proportions of four
to five-year olds are not in KG.
Some of the causes for late entry to school include:

• Incorrect birth dates, and lack of birth certificates
• Parental beliefs about school readiness
• Inadequate KG infrastructure
• Poverty
• Data on children to access pre-school
• Lack of supply of good quality KG schools and facilities
Trends in ECE Enrolment
The trends in the participation of KG education are presented in the next section. Overall,
the ten-year KG enrolment trend has experienced continuous fluctuations for the gross and
net enrolment rates1 with an average percentage change of about 6% in gross enrolment
between 2009 and 2018, showing slight increments in the first three years (2009 to 2011), and
significantly moved further upwards from 2012-2016 from 112.4% /115.3% to 131.6%/131.6%
1 GER and NER mean all children irrespective of their age in KG classroom and children with the right age in the KG classroom, respectively.

for boys and girls respectively. There was a decrease in the gross enrolment between 2017-
2018 from 112.7%/114.2% and 112.2%/113.5% for boys and girls respectively. Similarly,
during the same ten year period, NER experienced fluctuations with significant increments in
2013 and 2016 at 90.2%/91.3% and 83.9%/85.1% for both boys and girls, respectively.
Table 1 THE TRENDS IN ECE ENROMENT: 2010 - 2018
2009 2010/ 2011/ 2012/ 2013/ 2014/ 2015/ 2016/ 2017/ 2018/
National
/10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
GER-B 98.1% 99.2% 100.4% 112.4% 122.1% 141.3% 133.5% 131.6% 112.7% 114.2%
GER-G 96.5% 97.5% 98.4% 115.3% 123.9% 146.6% 133.6% 131.6% 112.2% 113.5%
NER-B 59.2% 60.5% 64.7% 73.8% 90.2% 62.1% 55.2% 83.9% 73.8% 73.8%
NER-G 58.3% 59.7% 63.6% 75.9% 91.3% 64.7% 55.9% 85.1% 75.4% 73.8%
GPI 0.98 0.98 0.98 1.03 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.00 1.00 0.99

The pace for the increments in the KG enrolment irrespective of the age seem higher compared
to children with the right age and the figures indicate that the system is experiencing both
over and under-age children, who sit in the same classroom with those with the right ages.
The key evident challenge with under and over-age enrolment being addressed with support
from strategic stakeholders including UNICEF, is the launch of a social and behaviour change
communication campaign on “Right-Age Enrolment” to promote children entering school the
right age and to ensure that all children, especially with the right age including those with
Special Educational Needs are in school and learning.
Maintaining Standards & Registration/Regulation in ECE Service Provision

As enshrined in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Policy and also envisioned in the Education
Strategic Plan (2018-2030), all public and private ECE service providers must adhere to laid
down standards including registration and strict adherence to existing and future regulations
that guide teaching, learning and play-based activities at the ECE sub-sector of Education.
Documents that inform the basis for presentation in In this guideline, the standards
the Guideline and regulations that guide ECE
• Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS: at Global, regional and National
2004), levels have been outlined. It is
worthy to note that while most
• Ghana’s Early Childhood Care and Development
of these documented standards
(ECCD) policy (2004)
and regulations have existed
• KG Curriculum (2005), over time, new ones are also
• Teacher INSET and PRESET Modules (2011), being formulated and it is
• KG Children’s Progress Report /KG Assessment Tool expected that best practices
(2016), that will be introduced and/or
• National Minimum Guidelines for the establishment adapted by the Ministry of
of KG (2016), and the Education, the Ghana Education
• Costed KG Operational Plan (2011) Service and their partners in
future will still be strictly
enforced and implemented even

if it is not captured in this guideline.
ECE/KG Teacher Standards and Development

For the purposes of the ECE Policy, teacher standards refer to the minimum levels of practice that
all trained KG teachers must reach by the end of their pre-service teacher education programme
or exhibit in their teaching career (NTS, 2018). The Standards are a set of core competencies
required by all KG teachers. These core competencies include: critical and reflective thinking,
problem solving, play-based pedagogical instruction and assessment, personal development
and leadership, digital literacy, creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration,
and commitment to life-long learning.
In summary
Access and participation in KG in Ghana have been improving yet there remain some
categories of children who are not fully benefiting from KG education in Ghana. Multiple
causes of non-participation in KG that are described as barriers and bottlenecks have
been shown. Knowledge and understanding about the causes of this non-participation
in KG by stakeholders who will implement this ECE policy, will help support the effective
implementation process.

Table 4 The Standards are divided into seven elements, each with its expectation of the
KG teacher
Standards The KG Teacher(s) should:
Differentiated • Employ a variety of play-based pedagogical instruction (e.g. discovery,

Teaching and participatory, integrated and enquiry based) that encourages student
Learning participation.
• Pay attention to all learners, especially those with Special Educational
Needs, using differentiated learning including the universal design for
learning (UDL) ensuring their progress.
• Employ instructional strategies appropriate for mixed ability and
multilingual.
• Set meaningful activities that encourages learners’ active engagement,
socially interactive making it joyful and iterative
• Produce and use a variety of teaching and learning resources including ICT,
to enhance learning.
Knowledge of • Demonstrate familiarity with the education system and key policies guiding
educational it.
frameworks and • Have comprehensive knowledge of the official school curriculum, including
curriculum learning outcomes.
• Have secure content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical
content knowledge for teaching kindergartens.
• Have good knowledge of how to teach beginning reading and numeracy and
speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
• Use at least one Ghanaian language as a medium of instruction.
Knowledge of • Understand how children develop and learn in diverse contexts and apply
students this in teaching.
• Take account of and respect learners’ cultural, linguistic, socio-economic
and educational backgrounds in planning and teaching.

Standards The KG Teacher(s) should:
Managing • Plan and deliver varied and challenging lessons, showing a clear grasp of the
the learning intended outcomes of teaching.
environment
• Carry out small-scale action research to improve practice.
• Create a safe and encouraging learning environment.
• Manage behaviour and learning with small and large classes.
Assessment • Integrate a variety of formative assessment modes into teaching to support

learning.
• Listen to learners and give constructive feedback.
• Identify and remediate learners’ difficulties, referring learners whose needs
lie outside the competency of the teacher.
• Keep meaningful records of every learner and communicate progress clearly
to parents and learners.
• Demonstrate awareness of national and school learning outcomes of
learners.
Professional • Improve personal and professional development through life-long learning
Development and Continuous Professional Development.
• Demonstrate effective growing leadership qualities in the classroom and
wider school community.
• Critically and collectively reflects to improve teaching and learning.
Community of • Be guided by legal and ethical teacher codes of conduct in his or her work as
Practice a professional teacher.
• Engage positively with colleagues, learners, parents, School Management
Committees, Parent-Teacher Associations and wider public.
• Develop a positive teacher identity and act as a good role model for pupils
• See his or her role as a potential agent of change in the school, community
and country.

Barriers and Bottlenecks that Shape Participation in ECE
Two sets of demand side barrier and supply side barriers as well as bottlenecks are highlighted
below. However, it is important to emphasise that these issues are inextricably linked to each
other. Points raised in this section have been mentioned in the backgrounds of all the 5 action
areas of the ECE policy.
Demand Barriers
• Socio-cultural: Demand barriers remain difficult to trace as they are constructed through
social practices that are difficult to measure, gather data about and provide evidence for.
• Gender: Uncertainties about girls’ safety in school and on their way to and from school
exacerbate fears of girls being exposed to harassments in cases where the home is far
from the school.
• Disability: There is a constitutional right for all disabled persons in the country to have
access to education, yet many disabled children are subjected to discrimination, abuse,
social marginalisation, and exclusion, with their basic human rights being violated.
• Nomadic people: Access to quality education is more difficult in rural areas but nomadic/
pastoralist groups often found in very remote areas are the most disadvantaged. Children
from groups with nomadic or migratory lifestyles often have little access to schooling and
providing accessible, meaningful education to these mobile populations is a challenge.
• Other marginalised groups: There are groups in the population that are under stress
because of poverty, displacement, discrimination, minority status or stigma. These
people are often marginalised or disenfranchised with little space, time, or capacity to
demand educational provision for their children.
• Family income and poverty: Most people in Ghana live in rural contexts characterised
by low income generating opportunities and high levels of poverty and impoverished
households where the availability of food and water are central to survival. This absorbs
the time and energy of household members, so they leave little time for the education of
their children.

Supply Barriers
• Schools and resources: these barriers include;
• inadequate and inappropriate KG schools, KG provision has been uneven and
unregulated
• the provision for children with special needs has been minimal
• KG classrooms operate in conditions of over-crowding with poor and sub-standard
facilities. Where there are no KG classrooms, classes are held outside, sometimes
under trees and sheds.
• lack of potable water and toilet facilities
• teaching resources and textbooks have been found to be uneven across different
communities in the country.
• insufficient number of trained teachers for KGs.
Quality: Some factors that affect quality ECE include:

• large class sizes,
• lack of qualified teachers,
• poor attendance to school by teachers and pupils
• insufficient TLMs
Supply Bottlenecks
Political Context: Political influence play important role in the provision of schools.
• Policies regarding regulation of schools remains unclear
• Uncoordinated systems among MDAs
Governance and Capacity: Some of the issues centre around:

• Education decentralisation
• Lack of capacity in collecting and management of data

• monitoring and evaluation of KG schools in some districts
• Inadequate information flow among relevant sectors
• Keeping and managing school records
• Inadequate trained personnel
• Lack of institutionalisation of capacity building programmes
Finance:
Inadequate financial resources and budgetary allocation remains a challenge in all districts.
In summary
Access and participation in KG in Ghana have been improving yet there remain some
categories of children who are not fully benefiting from KG education in Ghana. Multiple
causes of non-participation in KG that are described as barriers and bottlenecks have
been shown. Knowledge and understanding about the causes of this non-participation
in KG by stakeholders who will implement this ECE policy, will help support the effective
implementation process.

CHAPTER THREE:
THE EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION POLICY FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER THREE: THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION POLICY FRAMEWORK
Introduction
The ECE policy framework has been developed around the six action areas (see section
2 of the ECE policy). The policy goal of each action area, the related policy objectives,
strategies, and activities are presented in the policy framework. It is therefore a guide for this
implementation manual. The indicators for monitoring each objective, strategy and activity
have been presented in the policy framework. During implementation, it is important that
stakeholders take a careful look at every aspect of the policy framework to see how each of
them is related to their activities during implementation. The backgrounds to the six action
areas are presented in the next section.
The Six Action Areas of the ECE Policy

In the ECE Policy, six action areas have been identified. The implementation of the policy is
also organised in line with these six action areas. They include:
1. Planning and Management: The aim of this action area is to create an enabling
environment that will support effective planning and management systems for quality
KG delivery in Ghana. It is important to plan and manage activities that will address the
issues related to ECE delivery. There is the need to ensure effective coordination, and
information flow among relevant sectors. The policy goal is to create: An environment
that supports a well-governed and equitable KG subsector.
2. Curriculum Development and Implementation: The second action area is focused on

effective implementation of the approved Kindergarten curriculum. It is aimed at creating
opportunity for quality learning experiences and the promotion of inclusion to ensure
the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of all children including those
with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The KG curriculum should focus on the Following:

• participatory play-based pedagogy
• equitable and inclusive teaching and learning
• active and collaborative involvement of parents, teachers and the private providers
• individual uniqueness of children
The policy goal is to ensure: A curriculum that is effectively and efficiently implemented to
promote pre-primary children’s holistic development
3. Pre-service and In-service Teachers:

• Teacher education should be based on the approved Teacher Education framework
prepared by MoE with support from DFID and in line with the National Teaching
Standards (NTS).
• All teachers are required to possess the NTS which lay emphasis on professional
knowledge, professional practice, Professional attitudes and values.
• All teachers will be certified and registered by NTC after passing teacher education
and licensure examinations respectively.
• Preservice and in-service KG teachers are to be equipped with the necessary skills of
using play-based pedagogy as outlined in the approved KG curriculum framework.
• KG attendants and care givers are to be trained in the requisite pedagogical skills
and competencies at regular intervals.
• Teachers will undergo continuous professional development (CPD) through School
-based and Cluster-based SBI/CBI.
To raise the status of the profession and strengthen the professional knowledge, attitudes,
values and practice of ECE teachers, it is necessary to harmonise the ECE curriculum at both
PRESET and INSET levels. The policy goal of this action area focuses on ensuring the effective
professional training and deployment of a well-informed ECE workforce in the use of play-

based approaches. The policy goal is to ensure: Improved skills and competencies of KG
teachers in play-based pedagogy.
4. Family and Community Engagement:
The policy action area seeks to ensure that: Families and Communities are actively engaged
in their Children’s ECE. Family and community engagement is key in the development of the
Child. GES, Schools and ommunities must ensure the following:
• regular sensitisation and advocacy drive
• Organise SPAM, Open days and PTA meetings regularly
• Build capacity of parents in child education to guide their children at home using
appropriate materials.
• Encourage Home schooling with effective support from GES, NGOs and service
providers
• GES should draw up guidelines for family and community engagement in KG
education.
5. Child-Friendly Safe Space and Environment
Action area five seeks to create a policy environment that will ensure that a child-friendly safe
space and environment is built and attached to all primary schools throughout the country
for KG children. There are Districts with KG class size averages of 55 pupils per classroom.
Some regions including the Northern Regions have cases of an average of 86 children per
KG classroom which defeats the norm. The policy commitment of government is to ensure
that the construction of primary schools is accompanied with modern Kindergartens that is
conducive for the delivery of KG education. Action area five therefore seeks to create child-
friendly safe space and environment that is conducive for learning through the construction
of KG infrastructure across the country. The policy goal is to create a Policy environment
supportive of building child-friendly and inclusive infrastructure for KG service delivery.

6. Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance (MRQA):
The sixth action area of the policy seeks to ensure: Quality Assurance that improves the pre-
primary sub-sector through Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research. The Monitoring Regulation
and Quality Assurance will use monitoring framework tools to track indicators in the policy.
Data collection processes will be strengthened and data from monitoring will be used for
decision-making. Action Area six therefore, seeks to promote data use for organisational
learning, track the performance over time and use learning to iterate and improve on
programme interventions. Creating an effective Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance
system, minimises the chances of deviation from targeted objectives and goals.

CHAPTER FOUR:
IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS

CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS
Introduction
The implementation of the ECE Policy requires well-defined structures and defined specific
roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders at all levels. The functional structures must
ensure effective supervision, timely delivery of inputs as well as monitoring and evaluation
of performance indicators. A range of key public and private institutions within their requisite
mandates have considerable influence on the quality of ECE delivery in Ghana. Their
collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) in critical areas of interest shall be an
important activity under the ECE policy. The implementation structures include Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and relevant stakeholders including unions, media, civil
societies, and development partners who will be working either as a lead or a collaborating/
supporting partner in the implementation of the policy. The list of implementers is not
exhaustive and interested partners through the appropriate authorisation can join.
General information:
1. Planning and Management
Identify the stakeholders to be consulted and engaged in Planning and Management of ECE
issues in your jurisdiction as follows:
• Refer to the objectives and strategies in the planning and management action area and
align your activity accordingly
• Check for the other action areas that may have direct relationship to what you plan to
execute in the ECE sub-sector
• Check for the Output and Outcome indicators and check the monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms
• Factor all the above procedures into the Planning and Management of the intended activity
to be performed; be it provision of infrastructure, teacher professional development,

safety and inclusion of children or monitoring and supervision.
2. Curriculum Development and Implementation
• Identify and consult with the lead Responsible Institution
• Check for the curriculum Standards and identify the gaps you intend to address
• Present your proposed curriculum content and additional implementation approach to
the responsible institution for approval
• Implement the approved activities in a broad consultative manner
• Follow reporting procedures to present lessons learned, observations and challenges
3. Pre-Service and In-Service Teacher Education and Training
• Provide the training content to be executed to the Lead Responsible Institution for
review and approval
• Align your goals with the specific indicator targets for continuous teacher professional
development
• Use recommended standards and approaches to train and coach teachers to improve
ECE service delivery
• Follow reporting procedures to present observations and challenges to lead responsible
institution and other stakeholders
4. Family and Community Engagement
• Consult with the Lead Responsible Institution for the activity you wish to undertake
• Refer to the specific guidelines for family and Community engagement
• Align your specific goals to the Objective and Strategy indicator targets for the action
area
• Use recommended language and procedures to engage with family and community
members
• Follow reporting procedures to present observations, achievements, and challenges to
the lead responsible institution

5. Child-Friendly Safe Space (Environment)
• Ensure that policy provision is made for all Public Primary Schools have child-friendly
and inclusive KG infrastructure attached
• Develop a mapped-out plan and strategy for the construction of KG’s in Public Primary
Schools without KG
• Follow planned strategy to construct KGs infrastructure to close the infrastructure deficit
gap in Public Primary Schools across the country.
6. Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance
• Consult with the Lead Responsible Institution for Monitoring, Regulation and Quality
Assurance
• Request for the Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance recommended tools
• Align your specific intervention to the standardized Monitoring, Regulation and Quality
Assurance tools and mechanisms
• Engage the Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance team to carry out planned
activities and Reporting
• Follow reporting procedures to make available the results of the Monitoring, Regulation
and Quality Assurance to facilitate decision-making by management.
In summary
The ECE policy framework has been developed around the six action areas which have been
costed in the summarised estimated budget of the policy. The implementation of the policy
centres on these six action areas. All the action areas are interconnected and needs to be
checked during the implementation period. The implementation mechanisms presented in
section three of this guide should be viewed in line with the six action areas of the ECE policy.

Critical Agencies and Implementers and their Roles:
Ministry of Education
The Ministry shall provide overall leadership for the Early Childhood Education Policy. The
ministry shall have the responsibility of:
• Overseeing policy implementation, review, coordination, monitoring and evaluation and
impact assessment.
• Leading the submission of budget proposals for ECE financing while working closely with
the Ministry of Finance to ensure inflow of funds to ECE programmes.
• Assessing progress against targets.
• Overseeing the review of curriculum, training, and professional development of all
educational personnel in collaboration with all key stakeholders.
The provision for ECE activities in the annual budget allocation will cover such costs as:
• Activities of GES/BED regarding the implementation of the Policy
• Training cost for key staff and other key national stakeholders
• Procurement of resources and materials for schools
• Physical and environmental accessibility of educational facilities
• Supervision, monitoring and evaluation
• Data collection, management, and analysis
Pre-Tertiary Directorate
The Pre-Tertiary Directorate which serves as the policy development and coordination unit of
the Ministry would be responsible for:
• Overall coordination of the policy and its related activities.
• Coordinating reporting on ECE to Management and relevant stakeholders.
• Monitoring implementation to advice on re-strategizing the Policy where necessary.

GES
The Ghana Education Service (GES) is tasked with oversight of the implementation, ensuring
that the issues defined in the ECE policy are implemented through the national, regional and
district structures to the school and community levels. It shall act as the body that provides
advice and direction as well as monitoring progress and instituting mechanisms for ensuring
compliance in the education system on ECE delivery as defined by the policy.
• The GES through its decentralized structures shall provide all schools and pupils
including learners with special educational needs with adequate and requisite teaching
and learning materials.
• The Service shall collaborate with the Ghana Health Service to conduct training for ECE,
SHEP, SPED and G&C Coordinators in the implementation of the Policy.
• The Service shall collaborate with communities, parents, and PTAs in the implementation
of the Policy.
Basic Education Division
Basic Education Division is expected to ensure that the following issues are addressed in the
school plans and programmes:
• All school-age children shall be entitled to two-years quality kindergarten education.
• All basic schools shall make their content of curriculum or programmes of study inclusive
and play-based for the wide range of learners.
• All schools shall ensure that their classrooms are friendly and safe for all learners.
ECE Unit
The implementation of the ECE policy requires a well-established unit within the key implementing
agency (GES) to translate the goals and objectives of the policy into actual programmes at
the national, regional, district and community levels. The ECE Unit will therefore ensure the
achievement of the above and co-ordinate the implementation at regional and district levels, in
line with Government’s decentralization programme.

NaCCA
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) shall be responsible for:
• Developing and reviewing of KG curriculum and related teacher resource materials
• Assessment, approving and recommending textbooks for KG
NIB
The National Inspectorate Board (NIB) shall provide an independent external evaluation of:
• The quality and standards in ECE delivery on periodic basis.
• Play a lead role to regulate the establishment and registration of pre-school (Kindergarten)
in the country.
NTC
The implementing agency shall collaborate with the National Teaching Council (NTC) to
ensure:
• improved professional development of all KG teachers to deliver effectively in schools
• organised INSET for all KG teachers
• registration, certification, and licensing of all teachers
Ministry of Gender and Children
The Ministry of Education shall liaise with the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social
Protection to:
• Ensure equal educational opportunity and promote rights of children
• Ensure the formulation of gender and child specific development policies, guidelines,
advocacy strategies and plans for implementation by MDAs, and MMDAs
• Ensure all schools work under child protection policies
• Ensure that Social Protection programmes for children are effectively implemented and
take account of the special vulnerability of children with disabilities, orphans, street

children and other marginalized groups.
Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service
The Ministry of Education shall liaise with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ghana Health
Serviceto take the lead role and be responsible for:
• Pupil/student early assessment processes. This will include but not limited to screening,
treatment, and referrals.
• Provide facilities for early detection and assessment and management of children
with disabilities from age 0 to 6 years with the help of educational as well as medical
professionals.
• Ensure the provision of appropriate health care delivery for all children, i.e. early
detection, assessment and management.
• MoH shall be required also to make annual budgetary allocations that will be geared
towards the early detection of disabilities amongst children and provision of equipment
that shall assist in identifying and working with all these cases at an early age.
Collaborating Stakeholders:
Teacher Unions
The teacher unions in both the private and public domains should:
• Sensitise members on the Policy and the importance of CPD in early childhood education.
• Assist the GES to create and sustain child-friendly environment in their schools
by welcoming all learners and their families, ensuring safe spaces for then, and
communicating well in response to their needs
• Collaborate with NGOs to sensitise community on enrolment of all children including
those with SEN at the right age.
• Undertake research in the relevant field when needed.
Development Partners
In implementing the ECE policy, the Development Partners’ community shall be encouraged

through strategic collaboration to provide support in this regard in the form of technical
assistance and financial support in the following areas:
• Development of adaptive teaching/learning materials and resources.
• Provision of Basic Screening Materials and Assistive devices.
• Strengthening capacity building for implementation of ECE.
• Assisting with Monitoring and Evaluation in collaboration with implementing agencies
and units.
• Facilitate platforms for information sharing and best practices from other countries.
• Contribute to the development of research, monitoring and evaluation of the policy.
CSOs (NGO/FBO/CBO)
The Civil Society group shall contribute to the policy implementation in the following ways:
• Undertake regular community sensitization on the need to engage parents to support
and provide for their children
• Creating awareness to change negative attitudes.
• Offering Scholarships /supports to learners at the risk of exclusion.
• Mobilise resources and advocate for increased funding for ECE.
• Provision of adapted teaching /learning resources.
• Mobilise and sensitise communities on enrolling their children at the right age.
• Construction and modification of schools to make them physically and environmentally
accessible.
• Contribute to the development of research, monitoring and evaluation of the policy.
The Media
The implementing agencies should liaise with the media to ensure that they:
• Use their medium to disseminate the ECE policy widely.
• Act as watch dogs and monitor the implementation of the Policy

• Advocate for the promotion of the education of children with Special Education Needs.
Local Structures:
MMDAs
The ECE policy recognises the critical roles Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembles
(MMDAs) must play in the implementation of the policy, and especially at the school level
and harnessing support in the community. Local authorities are responsible for a range of
services for children and youth, including access to education and social services. All MMDAs
shall therefore be responsible for:
• Mainstreaming issues of the ECE policy in their medium-term development plan.
• Allocating resources within the guidelines of the district assembly common fund (DACF)
• Act as focal points for policy coordination units and ensure the implementation of ECE
at local levels.
• Creating a platform to share experiences and good practices in ECE delivery.
SMC/PTA
The School Management Committees/PTAs are tasked with the following responsibilities:
• Play advocacy role for the rights of all children.
• Support School Heads and Teachers to implement the Policy in the best interest of
Children
• Collaborate with the community (community welfare groups, district assemblies,
traditional authorities, and opinion leaders) to create awareness on enrolment issues
(Right Age Enrolment Campaign) to foster attitudinal change.

Action Area 1: Planning and Management Policy Goal: An environment that supports a well-governed and
equitable KG subsector.
Policy Objective Activities Sub-Activities What should be Responsibility When
done
1. Strengthen Coordinate Assign a Disseminate Lead: GES Termly
alignment of information- schedule officer information on (Regional Directors,
KG Guidelines sharing and the in ECE to be ECE activities at MMDEs)
with other key operationalisation responsible. (For all levels Collaborators:
documents and alignment of operationalising
at global, KG guidelines the information SISOs, ECE
regional, and coordination coordinators,
national levels and sharing NGOs
for effective KG system). Development
delivery Partners
Leverage on the Review and Make harmonized MoE Yearly

MoE/GES data revise the data system GES (EMIS Outfit,
visualisation harmonised accessible to KG Heads)
dashboard to data system primary data
gather and share to include collectors NGOs
information on additional KG Development
ECE information Partners
Conduct Train system MoE Yearly
training for managers at all GES National,
the system levels in zones Regional, District
managers Planners and
(planning Statistic officers,
statistics and ICT NGOs
officers) at all
levels Development
Partners

Develop and Constitute a MoE (PTE) Yearly
disseminate team to prepare Identify persons GES (ECE unit),
key messages key messages with knowledge Experts (Social
on effective and on effective on SBCC to draft Communicators,
quality KG delivery and quality KG key messages Media
in the areas of delivery based on effective practitioners),
curriculum for on the SBCC and quality KG NGOs,
teachers, family, delivery. Development
and community Partners
in line with
social and Organize Engage GES (ECE unit), Yearly
behaviour change stakeholder stakeholders to Experts (Social
communication engagement to reach consensus Communicators,
(SBCC). reach consensus on key messages Media
on the key practitioners),
messages NGOs
Development
Partners
Train PR and Orient PR Unit, ECE Termly
relevant staff relevant staff Co-coordinators,
on the key to disseminate Media Social
messages to the agreed key communicators.
disseminate messages NGOs
to identified
groups/bodies in Development
line with SBCC Partners

2.Ensure Constitute a Identify and Select experts MoE (PTE), GES Yearly
coordination of Committee establish a in ECE/ECCD (ECE Unit, SPED,
KG policies and of actors for committee of to coordinate SHEP) GHS, GCSP,
programs for coordination of KG members from policies and Local Government
both Public and programs ECE/ECCD to programmes of NGOs
Private actors support the KGs
at national and coordination of Development
sub-national KG policies and Partners
levels programmes
(Consider
existing
structures
to promote
sustainability)
Draw on Use database Consult EMIS MoE Yearly
information information to outfit for GES (ECE Unit, ECE
from the data streamline KG database Coordinators,)
visualization service delivery. information to
dashboard to streamline KG NGOs
streamline the service delivery Development
activities of key partners
actors (including
NGOs, FBO,
etc.) and their
programmes /
plans in the
ECE space and
ensure roles and
responsibilities are
clearly defined

Use database
to identify
and address
disparities in KG
service delivery at
all levels
Sensitize KG Orient MoE, GES (ECE Yearly
actors on coordinators Unit, Directors,
their roles and on ways to ECE Coordinators,)
responsibilities use database NGOs Development
and the need to information partners
provide regular to address
reports to disparities in KG
management service delivery
Use existing
structures
to sensitize
KG actors on
their roles and
responsibilities at
all levels
Orient and train Print KG policy Make policy MoE, GES (ECE Yearly
policy makers, documents for document Unit, Coordinators)
managers, and distribution available to NGOs
coordinators nationwide schools Development
on existing KG Partners
guidelines and the
ECE policy.

Organize Organize MoE, GES (ECE Unit, Yearly
orientation workshops for coordinators)
and periodic both public and NGOs
refresher private key actors
training at all levels to Development
workshops for understand Partners
Policy makers, the concept of
managers, and the ECE policy
coordinators at document
all levels
3. Promote Support Provide logistical Using data from MoE, GES Yearly
equitable Monitoring, support to Monitoring, NGOs,
access to KG Regulation And Monitoring, Regulation And Development
services, with Quality Assurance Regulation Quality Assurance Partners
emphasis to conduct And Quality to conduct
on Right Age infrastructural Assurance infrastructural
Enrolment audit, based to conduct audit
and children on Established infrastructural
with Special guidelines audit
Educational with focus on
Needs accessibility and
safety
Support KG Collaborate Participate in the Lead: NaCCA As and
Curriculum with NaCCA development and Collaborators: When
development and to establish review process of
implementation KG curriculum the KG curriculum GES-BED, (ECE
development Unit, Coordinators,
Build capacity Headteachers and
and review of KG teachers
process, build teachers)
/attendants
capacity of to implement Development
KG teachers/ curriculum Partners
attendants to NTC, Private
implement the Practitioners
curriculum.

Screen all children Co-ordinate Support the Lead: GES-BED Termly
before admission with Ministry of Ministry of Collaborators:
into schools to Health/ Ghana Health/Ghana
facilitate early Health Service, Health Service, MoH/GHS, MoE-
detection and Ministry of Ministry of ECE Coordinator,
management Gender, Children Gender, Children GES- REO and DEO,
of special and Social and Social MoGCSP
educational needs Protection Protection to plan SHEP, ECE
to plan for for screening of Coordinators,
screening of KG children Headteachers and
children teachers)
NGOs
Development
Partners
Conduct relevant Support the MOH/GHS, GES Yearly
screening of screening in all (SPED, SHEP, ECE
children in all schools prior to Coordinators,
schools prior to admission Headteachers and
admission teachers
Collate report Make available EMIS, SPED, ECE Yearly
on children data on children Coordinators,
with special with special Headteachers
educational educational and teachers,
needs for further needs for Development
action requisite action Partners

Provide teaching Use monitoring Use data from Lead: GES- BED/ Yearly
learning materials research Monitoring, SPED
for all children and and quality Regulation And Collaborators:
assistive devices assurance data Quality Assurance MoH/GHS, MoE-
for children with to identify to identify TLMs ECE Coordinator,
special education TLM needs for for all children GES- REO and DEO,
needs all children including children MoGCSP, MoE, GES
including special with special (ECE Unit, SPED).
educational needs Development
needs Partners, NGOs
Use existing Use existing Yearly
guidelines on guidelines on
TLM package TLM package
to Procure and to procure and
Distribute the distribute TLMs
TLMs to all children
including children
with special
educational
needs
Set-up and Develop a Identify and Lead: GES - BED/ Year one of
Support structures comprehensive define the types SHEP Implemen-
to respond to Education of Emergencies Collaborators: tation
emergency Emergency in Education and MoE-PT, MoH/GHS,
situations Response the related step GES- REO and DEO,
manual and by step Response MoGCSP, MMDAs,
Distribute to key Mechanisms in a LGS, GES (ECE
players across manual to guide Unit, SHEP, SPED).
the structures the structures Development
at national and at National, Partners, NGOs,
sub-national Regional and NAS
levels District levels

Work with a team
to develop the
manuals, print
and distribute
Identify and Train the EERT at Lead: GES - BED/ Year one of
Train an national and sub- SHEP implemen-
Education national levels on Collaborators: tation
Emergency how to respond MoE-PT, MoH/GHS,
Response to emergency GES- REO and DEO,
Team (EERT) at situations MoGCSP, MMDAs,
national and LGS, GES (ECE
sub-national Unit, SHEP, SPED).
levels Development
Partners, NGOs,
NAS
Build capacity of Organize Organize capacity Lead: GES-BED Termly
practitioners and capacity building workshop for Collaborators: MoE-
KG teachers on workshop for KG teachers and ECE Coordinator
implementation KG teachers and practitioners GES – BED/KG Unit,
of safe school practitioners on the NaCCA, NIB, NTC,
concept implementation MoE-PBME, Private
(Infrastructure, of safe school Practitioners,
minimizing or concept MoE, GES (ECE
eliminating Unit), NGOs,
corporal Development
punishment, Partners
sexual
harassment,
bullying and child
abuse)

Make available Make hard/soft GES (ECE Unit, Yearly
safe school copies of the safe Guidance and
concept school concept Counselling
guidelines (hard/ guidelines Unit, RMMD
soft copies) to available for use officers), NGOs,
all teachers and by all teachers Development
practitioners and practitioners Partners
Update the Periodic review of Lead: NIB As and
accreditation the accreditation Collaborators: MoE- When
procedures and procedures and ECE Coordinator,
requirements requirements GES – BED/KG Unit,
Ensure for KG schools to for KG schools to NaCCA, NTC, GES-
accreditation of include play- include play- REO, DEO, Private
all KG schools based pedagogy based pedagogy Practitioners
and renewals to
Leverage on Sensitize the Lead: GES-BED Termly
meet the required
communication public on new Collaborators:
standards
strategy accreditation NIB, MoE/GES-
developed requirements for PR, Private
under family KG schools Practitioners,
and community Development
engagement to Partners
educate the
general public
and schools
on the new
accreditation
requirements
with support
from NIB

Support NIB Support NIB Lead: NIB Termly
to enforce the to enforce Collaborators:
accreditation compliance with GES-BED, Private
requirements the accreditation Practitioners, MoE,
requirements GES (ECE Unit,
RMMD officers,
ECE Coordinators)
NGOs,
Development
Partners
4. Promote the Review the teacher Use information Lead: GES-HRMD /
deployment deployment from the BED
of trained KG strategy to dashboard to Collaborators:
teachers to promote inform teacher REOs, DEOs, Private
communities decentralisation at deployment in Practitioners
where they are the district level the declared
needed most vacancies
Sensitize School Develop a Lead: GES-BED /
leaders and sensitization HRMD
management on strategy Collaborators:
the need to recruit for school NTC, NaCCA, REOs,
attendants who leaders and DEOs, Private
can communicate management on Practitioners
in the play recruitment of
language of the KG attendants
pupils in their based on play
community language of
pupils

Implement
sensitization
plan to include
community
outreach and
meeting with
school heads
and SMCs
5.Promote Provide support Support Moni- Make input into Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly
evidence to Monitoring, toring, Regula- Monitoring, Collaborators:
informed Regulation And tion And Quality Regulation And GES-BED, NIB, NTC,
decision- Quality Assurance Assurance to Quality Assurance NaCCA, MoE
making at to conduct develop tools for to develop tools
national and assessment and assessing Key for assessing GES (ECE Unit,
sub-national evaluation of Key ECE/KG areas key ECE/KG RMMD officers,
levels ECE/KG areas focusing on: areas including: ECE Coordinators)
a) KG policy im- a) KG policy NGOs
plementation, b) implementation, Development
infrastructure, c) b) infrastructure, Partners
equitable teach- c) equitable
er deployment teacher
practices, d) deployment
teacher capacity practices, d)
on play-based teacher capacity
pedagogy, e) on play-based
impact of INSET pedagogy, e)
programme for impact of INSET
KG teachers, f) programme for KG
use of standard- teachers, f) use
ised assessment of standardized
tools, etc., for assessment tools,
further action etc., for further
action

Constitute an Be part of the Lead: MoE-PT Every two
Advisory team advisory team on Collaborators: years
to support ECE/KG areas GES-BED, MoE-
Use evidence evidence-based
from Monitoring, ECE Coordinator,
decision making MoE-PBME GES
Regulation And on ECE
Quality Assurance (ECE UNIT) NGOs
to inform major Development
Policy decision on partners
KG at all levels Use findings Evaluate the MoE Yearly
from Monitoring, releases in the GES (Budget officer,
Regulation allocation ECE Coordinators)
and Quality
Assurance on
the Key ECE/KG
areas monitored
and evaluated
for further action
6. Ensure Support Support Lead: MoE-PBME

adequate monitoring, Monitoring, Collaborators: GES-
budgetary regulation, and regulation, BED, MoE-PT
allocation to quality assurance and quality
promote KG to analyse the assurance
programmes current budgetary to conduct a
and activities allocation to KG trend analysis
and advocate of budgetary
for increase allocations to KG
to support sub-sector
nationwide
implementation of
KG programmes

Support in
Disseminating
findings on
budgetary
allocations
to KG and the
state of existing
facilities to key
stakeholders
Action Area 2: Curriculum Development and Implementation Policy Goal: A curriculum that is effectively and
efficiently implemented to promote pre-primary children’s holistic development
Policy Objective Activities/Roles Sub-Activities/ What should be Responsibility When
Sub-Roles done?
1. Establish a Support NaCCA Collaborate Identify and Lead: NaCCA Yearly
framework to to update the list with NaCCA to build database Collaborators:
guide participa- of ECE curriculum review the list of on curriculum GES-BED, NTC,
tory develop- experts in the ECE curriculum experts MOE-PT, NIB,
ment, imple- development, experts Publishers, NGOs,
mentation, and implementation, (including Development
review of KG and review of KG teachers and Partners
curriculum curriculum. coordinators)
to review and
revise the KG
curriculum
Liaise with NaCCA Conduct analysis Use Monitoring, MoE (PBME), GES Yearly
to generate of KG curriculum Regulation And (Budget/Planning
evidence to inform in line with Quality Assurance Unit), NaCCA, NIB
KG curriculum national and evaluation report
review international to feed into the
standards analysis of KG
curriculum

Engage selected Organize regional MoE (PTE)) GES – yearly
stakeholders stakeholder National, Regional
(including SMC forum to share and District (Early
and PTA) to findings of the Childhood Unit)
share findings KG curriculum for NGOs, NaCCA, GES
of the KG input into review
curriculum Use the input
analysis and from stakeholders
to gather their on the findings
input into the to revise KG
curriculum curriculum
review
Collaborate Lead: NaCCA
with experts Collaborators: GES-
in academia BED
to conduct
research on
KG curriculum
implementation
to inform review
Sensitise parents Use the Use existing Lead: GES-BED Termly
and other key Communication systems to orient Collaborators:
stakeholders on for Development identifiable GES-PR, REOs
the revised KG (C4D) structure groups (FBOs, & DEOs, PTAs &
curriculum to Organize Teachers, NGOs, SMCs, Private
community wide and parents, etc.) Practitioners, DAs,
sensitization in the community NGOs Development
on revised KG on the KG Partners
curriculum curriculum

2. Ensure equita- Support NaCCA to Constitute Identify experts Lead: NaCCA Yearly
ble implemen- develop “play- a technical to constitute Collaborators:
tation of the based” teacher working group a technical GES-BED, NIB,
curriculum to manuals and of experts to working group to NTC, Private
meet the grade supplementary collaborate with develop teacher Practitioners, MoE,
and context materials responsible manual and GES (ECE Unit,
expectation in agency to supplementary ECE Coordinators,
all KGs develop materials SISOs),
KG teacher Development
manual and Partners, NGOs,
supplementary Publishers
materials
Collaborate with Validate the draft GES, NGOs, NaCCA, As and

NaCCA and NTC teacher manual / Publishers, NGOs, When
to develop and resource pack on District Assembly
print teacher KG curriculum
manuals/ Print teacher
resource pack to manual/resource
include Resource pack on KG
pack, play kits curriculum
and manual
for delivering
lessons and
differentiated
learning in line
with current ECE
curriculum

Distribute Teacher Distribute Monitor teacher Lead: GES-BED Yearly
Manuals and Teacher accessibility Collaborators:
supplementary Manuals and and use of the REOs & DEOs,
materials to all supplementary manual/resource Das, MoE, NIB,
KGs in the country materials (Soft pack on KG GES –SISOs, ECE
and hard copies) curriculum Coordinators,
to all KGs across NGOs,
the country Development
Evaluate impact
of use of teacher Partners, GES –
manual/resource (Planning and
pack on KG Evaluation Unit),
curriculum Monitoring &
Supervision Unit
& NIB
Build capacity Train trainers, Organize Lead: GES-BED Termly

of trainers and teachers, workshop for Collaborators:
teachers (public coordinators teachers on NTC, REOs &
and private) and supervisors curriculum DEOs, Private
for curriculum for curriculum implementation Practitioners
implementation roll out
Monitor workshop GES – DTST, Termly

for teachers Master trainers on
on curriculum the curriculum,
implementation Coordinators, GES-
efficiency National- District

Provide follow- Lead: GES-BED
up support (e.g. Collaborators:
top-up trainings, NTC, REOs &
classroom DEOs, Private
coaching and Practitioners
mentoring)
for teachers
to strengthen
implementation
Supervise and
Monitor trained
teachers in the
implementation
of the curriculum
Trialing current Coordinate Sample KG Lead: NaCCA Yearly

ECE curriculum the process schools and Collaborators: GES-
for inputs of trialing assess suitability BED, NTC, GES, NIB
and feedback current ECE of curriculum and
incorporated for curriculum and supplementary
review supplementary materials
materials in
first year of
implementation.

Revise and convert Coordinate Input into the Lead: NaCCA As and when
the KG Curriculum the revision review process Collaborators: GES-
into multiple and translate to translate KG BED/SPED, Private
formats (e.g. KG curriculum curriculum into Practitioners
braille, audio and into braille, Braille, audio, and MoE, GES (ECE
other formats) for audio and other other format Unit, SPED, ECE
users with special format. Coordinators),
educational NGOs,
needs. Development
partners
Sensitize Make curriculum MoE, GES (National, Termly

stakeholders accessible to all Regional. District,
on the revisions stakeholders ECE Coordinators),
made and Development
the available Partners, NGOs,
format (braille, Non-State
audio and Institutions
other format)
for special
educational
needs
Organize
stakeholder
forum on
the revised
curriculum and
the available
format

Distribute KG Print and Monitor the Lead: GES-BED Yearly
curriculum to distribute KG distribution and Collaborators:
in-service and pre- curriculum to in- use of the KG NaCCA, NCTE,
service teachers service and pre- curriculum by in- Ghana Library
and public service teachers service and pre- Authority
libraries in right and public service teachers (GLA), Private
quantities and on libraries in right and the libraries Practitioners
time. quantities. GES – ECE Unit,
ECE Coordinators,
Logistics Unit,
NTC, NGOs,
Development
Partners, Non-State
Institutions
Provide easy Upload electronic MoE, NaCCA, GES, As and when

access (e.g. version of KG Development
electronic) to curriculum to Partners, NGOs,
KG curriculum existing websites Non-State
for state and for easy access Institutions
non-state
practitioners
Develop Develop a Identify experts Lead: GES-BED As and when

and review school readiness to draft school Collaborators:
standardised assessment tool readiness NIB, NTC,
assessment assessment tool NaCCA, Private,
tools in line with Practitioners MOE,
the Curriculum GES, Development
including that of Partners
school readiness

Develop Develop and align Lead: NaCCA As and when
and align the standardised Collaborators:
standardised assessment tool GES-BED, NIB,
assessment tools NTC, Private
to the current Practitioners MoE,
curriculum Print and
distribute the Development
standardised Partners, NGOs,
assessment tool Publishers
Build capacity Conduct Training Organize Lead: GES-BED Termly

of teachers and of Trainers workshop for Collaborators: NTC,
supervisors in workshop on teachers and NIB, REOs & DEOs
KG schools (state the assessment supervisors on GES (ECE Unit, ECE
and non-state) tools the use of the Coordinators), Non-
on the use of the assessment tool State Actors, NGOs,
assessment tools Development
both for school Partners
readiness and
school curriculum.
Training for GES (ECE Unit, ECE Termly

teachers and Coordinators), Non-
supervisors on State Actors, NGOs,
the assessment Development
tools Partners

Make assessment Orient state and Train teachers Lead: GES-BED
tools available to non-state KG on use of the Collaborators: NIB, Termly
state and non - practitioners on assessment tools REOs & DEOs GES
state KGs across the assessment (ECE Unit, ECE
the country tools developed Coordinators), Non-
State Actors, NGOs,
Development
Partners
Distribute Monitor MoE, NIB Yearly

assessment accessibility GES (ECE Unit, ECE
tools to all state and use of the Coordinators)
and non-state standardised
KGs across the assessment tools
country in right
quantity and on
time
Trial assessment Use trial MoE, GES (ECE Unit, Yearly

tool and scale it outcomes to input ECE Coordinators
up with inputs into scaling up
from the field

Assess state and Support Train field Lead: GES - BED Yearly
non- state KG Monitoring, officers and ECE Collaborators: MoE-
Schools (Local, Regulation Coordinators PBME, NIB, NTC,
Regional and And Quality on the KG NaCCA, Private
Central) to identify Assurance assessment tool Practitioners, MoE,
and fix shortfalls to conduct GES (ECE Unit, ECE
to conform to assessment of Coordinators), Non-
the minimum all KG schools Disseminate
information to State Actors, NGOs,
standards 1. Sensitize state Development
(infrastructure, and non-state ECE practitioners
and other Partners
class size, learning practitioners on
environment, the minimum stakeholders on
teachers etc. standards for the minimum KG
setting up a KG standards
through the C4D
Collaborate with Make copies Lead: GES – BED / Yearly

NIB to enforce of minimum NIB
the minimum standards Collaborators:
standards. available to Inspectorate
practitioners & SPED, NTC,
NaCCA, Private
Orient Practitioners MoE,
practitioners GES (ECE Unit, ECE
on minimum Coordinators),
standards NGOs,
Development
Partners

Develop Conduct periodic MoE, NIB, GES Termly
and build visits to the (ECE Unit, ECE,
capacity of GES schools to guide Coordinators), MoE,
management practitioners GES National Yearly
team to support to improve
and enforce compliance with
minimum standards
standards Organize
(infrastructure, training for GES
class size, management at
learning all levels
environment,
teachers etc).
Distribute, Print, distribute Make printed Lead: GES - BED Yearly

make available and make minimum Collaborators:
and enforce available the guidelines for MoE -PT, REOs,
implementation minimum establishing DEOs Private
of the minimum guideline for KG available Practitioners MoE,
guideline for establishing KG for distribution GES (ECE Unit, ECE
establishing KG across national across the Coordinators),
and sub-national country NGOs,
levels Development
Partners
Upload Electronic copies Lead: MoE – PT Yearly

electronic copy of minimum Collaborators: GES
of the minimum guidelines for – I.T unit, MoE-
guidelines for establishing KG PBME /EMIS MoE,
easy access uploaded for easy GES (ECE Unit, ECE
by wider access by wider Coordinators),
stakeholders stakeholders NGOs,
Development
Partners

Monitor Conduct Lead: NIB Yearly
compliance of monitoring Collaborators: GES-
the minimum to check BED, Inspectorate,
guidelines for compliance of SPED, REOs,
establishing KG the KG minimum DEOs, Private
in Ghana guidelines in all Practitioners MoE,
schools NIB, GES (ECE Unit,
ECE Coordinators)
NGOs,
Development
Partners
3.Ensure use of Build capacity Undertake needs Field officers to Lead: NTC Termly
play-based of teachers assessment monitor teachers Collaborators:
pedagogies in (workshop, on- of teachers on on the use of NaCCA, GES-BED,
delivery of KG site coaching the use of play the play-based REOs, DEOs, Private
curriculum in and mentoring, in curriculum pedagogy in Practitioners MoE,
all Schools professional delivery curriculum NIB, GES (ECE Unit,
learning delivery ECE Coordinators)
community) to
enable them
integrate play in
delivering the KG
curriculum

Build capacity Train teachers in Lead: GES Yearly
of teachers the use of play- Collaborators:
(Pre-service and based learning NTC, NaCCA, GES-
In-service) in approaches and BED, NIB, REOs,
the use of play- resource pack DEOs, Private
based learning Practitioners
approaches and MoE, NaCCA, GES
resource pack- (ECE Unit, ECE
AA3 will cover Coordinators),
this cost NGOs,
Development
Partners
Acquire and Install Leverage on Liaise with EMIS Lead: GES - BED Yearly
the play materials dashboard data for data on KG Collaborators: MoE
and equipment visualization facilities lacking -PT, PBME, REOs,
for schools. This to identify KGs indoor and DEOs, Private
activity should lacking indoor outdoor play Practitioners MoE,
be budgeted for and outdoor equipment for NIB, GES (ECE
under AA1. play materials decision making Unit, SISos, ECE
and equipment Coordinators),
NGOs Development
Partners

Acquire and Purchase, Lead: MoE-PT Yearly
Install the play distribute and Collaborators:
materials and install play GES-BED/Logistics,
equipment for materials and REOs, DEOs, Private
schools. equipment for KG Practitioners
schools MoE, GES (ECE
Monitor effective Unit, SISos, ECE
use of play Coordinators),
equipment NGOs,
Development
Partners
Set up well- Lead: MoE-PT
equipped Model/ Collaborators:
Demonstration GES-BED, REOs,
KG in each DEOs, Private
circuit to serve Practitioners
as resource
centre for other
teachers.

Action Area 3: Pre-service and In-service Teacher Education and Training Policy Goal: Improved skills and
competencies of KG teachers in play-based pedagogy
Sub-Roles done?
1. Ensure the Draw on existing Map out all KG Collate on data Lead: NTC Yearly
training and database on all KG schools (both from NIB, EMIS Collaborators:
certification of teachers (public state and non- and GES to map
all KG teachers and private) state) in the out all KGs MoE -PT, CoEs,
to address KG country GES-BED, REOs,
teacher training DEOs, Private
needs (KG Practitioners
pedagogy related
to inclusion,
qualification, and
competencies)
Collaborate Provide
with Teacher sponsorship
Education package
institutions to for student
match their teachers who
admission of are interested in
student teachers pursuing courses
with KG teacher in ECE
demands

Develop Print and
Assessment distribute the
Framework National Teaching
to assess KG Standards (NTS)
teachers’ to all schools
competences
(using the
National
Teachers
Standards and
National Teacher
Education
Curriculum
Framework)
Assess teachers
based on the NTS
document. E.g.
assessment of
teacher portfolios
Leverage on Distribute (soft Lead: NTC Termly

Monitoring, / hard copies) Collaborators:
Regulation of Monitoring,
And Quality Regulation And MoE -PT, CoEs,
Assurance Quality Assurance GES-BED,
analysis report to key NaCCA, Private
of findings actors at national Practitioners
on teacher and sub-national
competencies levels
for further action

Develop training 1. Liaise with Lead: NTC Yearly
programmes teacher training Collaborators:
and schedule institutions to
to address the address ECE GES-BED,
identified gaps curriculum gaps NaCCA, Private
Practitioners
2. Post certified
ECE teachers
to KGs based
on vacancies
declared.
Organise training Conduct training Train KG teachers Lead: NTC Termly

for teachers to for national and to improve their Collaborators:
update their district level competencies.
knowledge and trainers GES-BED,
competencies NaCCA, Private
Practitioners
Conduct training 1. Train KG Lead: GES-BED Yearly

programmes teachers in Collaborators:
on zonal levels zones (Southern,
to address Middle, Northern) GES-BED, REOs,
teachers’ needs to address DEOs, NTC,
teachers’ needs NaCCA, Private
Practitioners

2. Organise
regular CPDs
for teachers to
improve their
competences. (A
special tailored
program should
be considered
for untrained KG
teachers)
2. Ensure Quality assure Develop an Checklist on Lead: NTC Yearly

compliance training content assessment training modules Collaborators:
with Early for INSET and tool to evaluate to ensure
Childhood ensure that it training modules compliance with NaCCA, GES-BED,
Education aligns with the KG to ensure National Teaching REOs, DEOs, Private
frameworks curriculum compliance Standards Practitioners
for in-service with national developed
training and standards (e.g.
pre-service NTS).
training
Check compliance
with NTS
Evaluate training Review the Lead: GES-BED / Yearly

modules assessment tool HRMD
based on the Collaborators:
assessment tool
NTC, NaCCA, REOs,
DEOs, Private
Practitioners

Orient INSET Inform Lead: GES-BED / Termly
providers and institutions on HRMD
institutions ECE teacher Collaborators:
(both public and resource material
private) on ECE NTC, NaCCA, REOs,
teacher resource DEOs, Private
materials Practitioners
(assessment
tool, INSET
framework
and National
Teachers’
Standards)
Certify facilitators Public and Use existing Lead: NTC Yearly

for INSET private INSET structures to Collaborators:
providers inform NTC for
collaborate certification GES-BED/HRMD,
with NTC for CoEs, REOs,
certification of DEOs, Private
facilitators Practitioners
Develop standard NTC, NIB Make input into Lead: NTC Yearly
enforcement collaborate the review and Collaborators:
and compliance to review the revise of the
framework to harmonized framework NIB, NaCCA,
quality assure ECE assessment/ GES-BED, Private
delivery inspection Practitioners
tool to include
KG INSET
framework

Organise annual Engage Service Participate in the Lead: GES-BED / Yearly
INSET Review Providers review meeting HRMD
meetings to to analyse Collaborators:
evaluate progress progress of
of implementation implementation MoE-PT, NTC,
for improvement of INSET NaCCA, REOs,
Programmes DEOs, Private
and address the Practitioners
gaps that may
be identified.
Set up minimum NTC, NTCE, Lead: NTC As and
qualification NGOs, Review and Collaborators: MoE- When
standards and collaborate to harmonize PT, NaCCA, Private
competency Develop tools based on Practitioners
framework for ECE Standards and emerged issues
Teacher-educators competency
(INSET)
For ECE
teachers-
educators
Organize training Identify and Use indicators Lead: GES-BED / Yearly
programmes classify school based on the NTC HRMD
to build the managers standards
capacity of (Heads of school,
school managers assistants heads Collaborators:
(Heads of schools, and proprietors) REOs, DEOs, Private
assistants based on Practitioners
heads and competency ne
proprietors) in ECE eds
administration Group Use EMIS Termly
identified ECE database and
administrators conduct training
and Conduct
training

Build capacity of Group KG Train KG Yearly
KG teachers to teachers into teachers in
conduct Action zones/districts zones (Southern,
Research to and Conduct Middle, Northern)
improve learning training through on the ECE
outcomes the INSET framework
structure
3. Promote the Develop modules Identify Use EMIS data Lead: NTC Yearly
development and schedules qualification and orient KG Collaborators:
and training for training KG requirements for assistants NaCCA, MoE-
of KG support assistants KG assistants/ Input into the PT, GES-BED /
staff support staff modules HRMD, Private
in line with Practitioners
the current
curriculum
Develop Use developed Termly

modules in line modules in line
with curriculum with standards to
standards to train attendants,
train attendants using existing
structures
Conduct training Use the Master Lead: GES-BED / Termly

for national trainers, DTSTs HRMD
and district and TOTs to Collaborators:
level trainers. organize trainings NTC, NaCCA, REOs,
Leverage on DEOs, Private
Trainer of Practitioners
Trainers for
KG teachers to
conduct the
training

Develop training Use schedule to Monthly
schedule and organize training
conduct district
level training for
KG assistants
Action Area 4: Family and Community Engagement Policy Goal: Families and Communities Are actively Engaged
in their Children’s ECE
Sub-Roles done?
1. Develop and Identify best Engage experts Identify and bring Lead: GES-BED As and
implement practices, to conduct a together experts Collaborators: When
a systematic evidence and situational to conduct DoSW, LGS, Private
guideline for approaches for analysis (desk situational Practitioners
family and effective family- review) and analysis on best
community community evidence practices and
engagement engagement synthesis on approaches
best practices for family and
and approaches community
for family- engagement
community
engagement

Action Area 4: Family and Community Engagement Policy Goal: Families and Communities Are actively
Engaged in their Children’s ECE
Organise 1. Organize zonal Lead: GES-BED Yearly
stakeholder stakeholders’ Collaborators:
workshops to workshop MMDAs-DoSW, LGS,
validate the (Southern, REOs, DEOs, Private
findings of the Middle, Northern) Practitioners
situational leveraging on the
analysis and C4D strategy
evidence
synthesis
2. Engage
stakeholders
at community /
circuit level
Develop guidelines Develop a terms Constitute a Lead: GES-BED As and

for effective of reference committee to Collaborators: When
family-community document develop terms of MoE-PT, Private
engagement to guide the reference Practitioners
based on the operation of the
evidence gathered working group
Develop the Supervise As and

guidelines for and support When
family and the process of
community the guideline
engagement development

Organise Identify and invite As and
validation stakeholders When
workshop on the in zones, to
draft guidelines validate the
draft guidelines
(Southern,
Middle, Northern)
Review and Review and Lead: GES-BED As and

Roll out the prepare plan prepare plan Collaborators: When
guidelines for to scale up the to scale up the MoE-PT, MMDAs-
effective school- guidelines guidelines DoSW, LGS, REOs,
family-community DEOs, Private
engagement Practitioners
Use INSET Use INSET Yearly

structure to train structure to train
national and national and
sub-national sub-national
practitioners, practitioners,
including the including the
champions, on champions on the
the guidelines guidelines
Print guidelines Print guidelines Yearly

for distribution for distribution
nationwide nationwide

Sensitise parents Sensitise parents Termly
on their role on their role in
in promoting promoting quality
quality ECE ECE during PTA
during PTA meetings, school
meetings, school events (Open/
events (Open/ Speech and
Speech and Prize Giving/
Prize Giving/ Graduation Day/
Graduation Day/ community
community meetings/etc.),
meetings/etc), SPAM meetings,
SPAM meetings, etc.
etc.
Sensitise Use existing Lead: GES-BED Termly

community structures Collaborators:
leaders/ to sensitise FBOs, NGOs,
faith-based community MMDAs-DoSW, LGS,
leaders/other leaders/faith- REOs, DEOs, Private
community based leaders/ Practitioners
stakeholders other community
on their role in stakeholders
the guidelines on their role in
that have been the guidelines
developed. that have been
developed.

2. Strengthen Engage Teacher Integrate Integrate family Lead: MoE-PT Per review
the capacity of Education guidelines into and community Collaborators: period
early childhood Institutions pre-service engagement NTC, NCTE,
education to adopt the teacher training guidelines GES-BED, Private
practitioners guidelines for and teacher into pre- Practitioners
to implement effective school- training service teacher
the family and community curriculum training and
community engagement teacher training
engagement in ECE teacher curriculum
strategy education course
curriculum
3. Promote Use National mass Develop key Identify team Lead: GES-BED Yearly
emerging media campaign messages for to develop key Collaborators:
issues on family to communicate media campaign messages for MoE-PT, GES-PR
- community ECE issues media campaign unit, Mass Media
engagement in (e.g. Right Age practitioners, REOs,
Early Childhood Enrolment) DEOs, Private
Education Practitioners
Use the Intensify Lead: GES-BED Termly

activation advocacy on Collaborators: MoE-
manual family and PT, GES-PR unit,
(community community SPED, Mass Media
town hall engagement on practitioners,
meetings, what families MMDAs-DoSW, LGS,
community need to do at REOs, DEOs, Private
engagement, their level to Practitioners
floating, support KG
community
information
centres, durbar,
etc) to create
awareness on
ECE issues.

Conduct Identify resource Termly
talk shows/ persons for
commercials/ publicity
radio dramas campaigns
on the role of
parents and
communities in
providing ECE on
various media
platforms (TV,
Radio)
Orient resource
persons on key
messages to use
for the campaign
4. Integrate and Generate lessons Establish a Constitute a Lead: GES-HQ As and

scale evidence- learned from Programme working group Collaborators: NIB, When
based best best practices Working Group with members NaCCA, NTC, GHS,
practices that like Lively Minds to integrate the drawn from Ministry of Gender,
build capacity methodology best practice the broader Children and Social
of families and for future programme(s) stakeholder Protection, Private
communities to implementation into government groups in Practitioners
provide quality systems and education
ECE at home oversee scale up
and school and sustaining of
the programme

Evaluate and Produce an Per evalua-
apply lessons evaluation report tion period
learned for detailing lessons
further scale up learnt for scale up
Action Area 5: Child-friendly Safe Space and Environment: A Policy environment supportive of building child-
friendly and inclusive infrastructure for KG service delivery.
Policy Objective Activities/Roles Sub-Activities/ What should be Responsible When
Sub-Roles done? Institution
1. Ensure that all Conduct needs Support Work with Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly
Public Primary assessment monitoring and EMIS and the Collaborators:
Schools have to inform the evaluation team appropriate team
KG attached development of to conduct a to do the need FPMU, MoE-PT,
a plan to guide comprehensive assessment of GES-ECE
addressing KG needs KG infrastructure
infrastructure assessment deficits in the
deficits to help in country
developing a
mapping plan
Develop Develop a Task the team to Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly

construction Mapping plan come out with the Collaborators:
strategy based on & construction mapping report
the mapping plan strategy and a strategy for FPMU, MoE-PT,
construction GES-ECE

Action Area 5: Child-friendly Safe Space and Environment: A Policy environment supportive of building child-
friendly and inclusive infrastructure for KG service delivery.
Construct KGs in Work with Work with PBME Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly
phases for primary management by providing Collaborators:
schools that have to kick-start technical
KG infrastructure and oversee the expertise, using FPMU, MoE-PT,
deficits construction of mapping plan to GES-ECE
KGs in phases to develop different
address the KG scenarios and
infrastructure strategies based
deficits across on approved
the country funds that can
facilitate hybrid
model KG
infrastructure in
the country
Action Area 6: Monitoring, Regulation and Quality Assurance Policy Goal: Quality Assurance that improves the
pre-primary sub-sector through Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research
Sub-Roles done?
1. Strengthen Use the ECE Identify ECE Collate identified Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly
Monitoring, Policy framework indicators indicators Collaborators: MoE-
Regulation to strengthen and areas in PT, NIB, GES-BED/
and Quality the Monitoring, the policy Inspectorate
Assurance Regulation and framework for
systems to Quality Assurance Monitoring,
ensure KG system for KG Regulation
Service delivery service delivery and Quality
meets global Assurance
benchmarks
Organize forum
to explain the
indicators to
relevant players

Use indicators
and areas in
the ECE policy
framework for
monitoring and
evaluation
Use the findings

from monitoring
and evaluation for
requisite action at
all levels
Analyse current Conduct a trend Collate budgetary Lead: MoE-PBME Yearly

budgetary analysis of allocation figures/ Collaborators: MoE-
allocation to KG KG budgetary estimates from PT, NIB, GES-BED/
and advocate for allocations cost centres for Inspectorate
budget increase trend analysis
to support
nationwide
implementation of
KG programmes
Conduct Share Organise Yearly

evaluation of KG findings from stakeholder
facilities evaluation with meeting to share
Planning and findings
Management to
disseminate to
key stakeholders

2. Ensure an Use the existing Lead: GES-BED Yearly
efficient system structures (EMIS Collaborators: MoE-
for collecting field officers, PBME, MoE-PT, NIB,
data, analysing, MSRC, DQMSE, GES- Inspectorate,
and reporting etc.) to orient GES-I. T Unit, REOs,
to inform data collectors DEOs, Private
management on the use of Practitioners
decision- the harmonised
making on KG assessment tool
Orient ECE
Harmonise Orient data coordinators and
assessment tool collectors on Directors on use
to include data on the use of the of the harmonised
indicators of the harmonised assessment tool
Key ECE areas assessment tool
Support
practitioners to
understand the
content of the
assessment tool
to facilitate data
reporting
Use harmonised Termly

assessment
tools to capture
ECE data for the
dashboard

Establish a As and
reporting When
system on the
Key ECE areas
to share with
planning and
management
In summary
With a well-defined structure and roles for Implementation of the ECE Policy at all levels,
it is important that they are monitored and evaluated throughout the implementation
period. This will ensure effective supervision and, timely delivery of inputs. The next section
highlights the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the policy and this is linked to the
monitoring and evaluation framework.

CHAPTER FIVE:
MONITORING AND EVALUATION MECHANISMS

CHAPTER FIVE: MONITORING AND EVALUATION MECHANISMS
Introduction
The successful implementation of Ghana’s ECE policy depends on the institutionalisation
and operationalization of appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the
impact of the policy. Hence strengthening data collection, analysis, reporting, usage, and
management as well as other monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will be pivotal to the
achievement of the goals and objectives outlined in the ECE policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms

Periodic monitoring and evaluation of policy implementation shall be carried out to provide
timely feedback to relevant stakeholders. The ECE policy will be reviewed and revised after
five years of implementation. However, a mid-term review of the policy implementation will
be conducted in the third year (Year 3) to determine progress made towards achieving the
policy goals and objectives, and make modifications, where necessary, to strengthen efforts.
Monitoring of the policy will be integrated in the existing Monitoring and Evaluation systems
of MoE and GES. The Ministry’s Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PBME) Unit
will therefore lead the coordination and reporting on the progress towards achieving the
policy goals. Through research, annual and other periodic data collection mechanism set
out in the KG Monitoring and Evaluation Indicator Framework, critical evidence needed to
inform continuous implementation of the policy will be collected, analysed, and fed into the
decision-making processes. Annual progress reports will be developed based on the indicator
framework and policy targets to guide the policy implementation.
The Monitoring and Evaluation process will involve all key agencies and stakeholders engaged
in the implementation of the policy (refer to chapter 4 for the schedule). For both the mid-
term and end line review of the policy, all stakeholders will be consulted to ensure a holistic

review of the policy. The indicators to be monitored during the implementation of the ECE
policy is focused on four (4) dimensions and sub-dimensions which are summarised in table 4.
Table 6 DIMENSIONS, SUB-DIMENSIONS, AND INDICATORS FOR MONITOING THE ECE

POLICY
No. Dimension Sub-dimension Type
1. Access Access: Availability Input
Outcome
Equity of access / accessibility and affordability Input
Outcome
2. Quality Parents and caregivers Process
Staff Input
Process
Safety and health Input
Infrastructure and facilities Input
Learning and play materials Input
Child development Outcome
3. Inclusive Staff Process
education Input
Infrastructure and facilities Input
Transportation and accessible entry Input
4. System- Universal access to inclusive early childhood education Output
level output Professionalization of early education teachers and staff Output
indicators through qualification frameworks, training, and improved
working conditions
Parental involvement in children’s early learning Output
Inclusive early childhood education standards and Output
monitoring of coverage, quality and outcomes
Every child supported by effective and efficient Output
governance

The MEL framework of the KG specific ECE policy has details on each of the four dimensions,
their sub-dimensions, the type of indicator, source and disaggregation of data, and its
interpretation.
Accountability tools for appraisal

Output of work
One of the ways of ensuring accountability in the education sector is through the appraisal
of the impact of the work of a teacher on learners. This is where the output of work of the
teacher comes to play. Output of work is the ability of the teacher to integrate professional
competence, and available resources.
SPAM
SPAM stands for School Performance Appraisal Meeting. It is an accountability activity
designed to keep all stakeholders in education, particularly local communities, well-informed
about the quality of teaching and learning that has taken place in schools.
Organising SPAM on ECE is important as it provides opportunity to all stakeholders, especially

parents and other members of the community, to participate in identifying and analysing the
challenges affecting the performance of their schools and contributing to the development
of strategies to improve the outcomes of the schools in subsequent years through the School
Performance Improve Plan (SPIP). This fulfils the attainment of Action Areas One and Four
of the ECE Policy, which seeks to ensure effective planning and management, and engage
families and communities to deliver quality ECE in Ghana.
SPAM can be organised on termly or annual basis using School Report Cards, assessment
tests or report, and monitoring reports. It can also be organised when there are incidences
of low enrolment, high over-age enrolment, and high under-age enrolment. Other challenges
such as poor attendance to school by teachers and pupils, inadequate staffing, inadequate
infrastructure, insufficient TLMs, and natural disasters can call for the conduct of SPAM.

It is important to actively involve all stakeholders in the school-community in the organisation
of SPAM by assigning roles before, during and after the conduct of the SPAM but not to allow
the process to be hijacked by few persons.
SPAM is organised at four levels: school, community, circuit, and district levels. At each level,
three key players (the chairman, convenor or facilitator and a secretary) need to be present to
ensure effective conduct of the process.
Targets and indicators to measure accountability

The ECE policy and its accompanying monitoring and evaluation indicator framework outline
targets and indicators to improve quality ECE delivery and strengthen accountability. The
policy establishes specific targets for each policy objective with their measurable indicators,
strategies, and strategy indicators. These targets which are set for the next five years are in
line with targets under the Education Sector Medium Term Plan 2018-2021 and the Education
Strategic Plan 2018-2030. All the six action areas of the policy have specific policy objectives
which are tied to annual targets.
The monitoring and evaluation indicator framework presents a comprehensive list of all
indicators to be measured. The indicators are categorized under dimensions of access, equity,
quality, and system-level to ensure that all policy relevant indicators are covered. Also, the
framework identifies the types of indicators (input, process, output, and outcome based on
ESP 2018-2030 see summary in Table 6), the types of disaggregation, sources of the data,
interpretation of indicators and frequency of analyses.
National Assessment
National Assessments are curriculum-based measures of pupils’ competencies acquired
in formal settings or schools across the country. The goal of any National Assessment is to
ascertain the level of knowledge and skills (competencies) acquired by learners at key stages of
the educational system. The competencies are measured through the conduct of tests based
on the national curricula, whose items have high degree of reliability and some proportionate
range of difficulty. Results from the National Assessments are disaggregated by sex (male/

female), location (urban/rural), type of school (public and private), and district (deprived and
urban) and by region.
The results from the National Assessments not only give insight into learners’ understanding,
recall and processing of information, but also provide quality information to the MoE, GES,
development partners, civil society organisations, teachers and parents to improve teaching
and learning. Such information could be shared during SPAM, where parents, teachers and
other stakeholders meet to discuss issues on school management and improving the quality
of teaching and learning.
School Improvement Support Officer (SISO)

The School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) plays a key role in the education sector by
promoting effective teaching and learning in all schools. The role of SISOs is to support the
delivery of quality ECE as outlined in Area Three of the policy, especially on Pre-Service, which
is also acknowledged in the Education Sector Medium Term Plan 2018-2021.
As part of the responsibilities of the SISO, s/he is expected to be a curriculum leader and an
evaluator of teaching and learning in schools under her/his jurisdiction. This means that the
SISO is expected to support teachers and school heads by providing professional guidance
and advice to improve school management and classroom instruction with a view to develop
the potential of every student to optimise learning outcomes. Through this, the SISO collects,
analyses, and uses the data to generate reports that are used to improve effective teaching
and learning. The report can therefore help to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the
policy that would require some modifications to ensure the achievement of the ECE policy
goals that facilitates preparation of children in KG to be school ready for primary education.
NIB Inspection Report

In line with its mandate to undertake inspection of schools and enforce quality standards in
public and private pre-tertiary institutions in Ghana, the National Inspectorate Board (NIB)
will as part of its periodic school inspections collect credible data on ECE delivery in schools.
The inspection process focuses on school leadership, teaching and learning, curriculum and

planning, school environment and management, all of which are key to effective ECE delivery.
The NIB inspection report will therefore serve as an essential guide to ensuring constant
monitoring and evaluation of the ECE subsector.
The inspection report will provide MoE with reliable evidence-based data to inform the
review, financing, and management decisions on the ECE policy. It will equally serve as a
review mechanism to ascertain the extent to which stakeholders are effectively implementing
the ECE policy. The report will reveal weaknesses and strengthens in teaching and learning,
school leadership and the school management as pertains to the ECE subsector. In so doing,
the inspection reports will guide the development of strategies for the enforcement of quality
standards among public and private KG schools in the country.
The reports will be useful especially to school staff and parents as they represent key actors in
improving ECE delivery at the school-community level. Findings from the inspection process
will constitute valuable information for the development of the school’s improvement
strategies during School Performance Appraisal Meetings (SPAM). School Management
Committees and Parent Teacher Associations can use the report to inform the School
Performance Improvement Plan (SPIP). Again, making the inspection reports available to the
public can help parents make informed decisions on the selection of schools to enrol their
children.
Teaching Portfolios
Teaching portfolios serve as part of a formal programme that assist teachers to become
accountable to themselves, their students, the schools, parents, and society. A teaching
portfolio is a way to examine and measure progress, by documenting the process of learning
or change as it occurs in one or more areas. This is consistent with the policy objective of
Action Area Six, monitoring, regulation, quality assurance of the new policy, by minimising
any chance of deviation that might disallow the achievement of the goal of the ECE policy.
Portfolios extend beyond test scores to include substantive descriptions or examples of what
teachers/learners are doing and experiencing – measuring change. Portfolio as an assessment

practice involves various stakeholders in the process of selecting evidence to be used for
the assessment. This evidence can serve as tools to communicate the impact (feedback) of
teaching and learning to stakeholders both inside and outside the school during SPAM. This
can be related to Action Area Four, which seeks to strengthen the role of family and community
in delivery of quality ECE.
Contents of portfolios (artefacts or evidence) can include drawings, photos, video or audio
tapes, writing or other work samples, computer disks, and copies of standardized or program-
specific tests. Data sources can include parents, staff, and other community members who
know the participants or programme, as well as the self-reflections of participants themselves.
Portfolio assessment provides a practical strategy for systematically collecting and organizing
such data.
In summary
Effective monitoring and evaluation are key to the successful implementation of Ghana’s
ECE policy. The institutionalisation and operationalization of an effective monitoring and
evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of the policy hinge on a comprehensive MEL
framework. Strengthening data collection, analysis, reporting, and usage, is one area that
management needs to focus on during the implementation period. The KG Monitoring and
Evaluation Indicator Framework is therefore, a key tool guide and an effective monitoring
and evaluation regime towards the achievement of the goals and objectives outlined in the
ECE policy.

ANNEXES:
Annex ‘A’: Mapping of available guidance, tools
Annex ‘B’: Mapping of NGOs (ECD/KG) and National
Technical Experts

Annexes
Annex ‘A’: Mapping of available guidance, tools
Materials Developed (National

Curriculum and Teacher Year/Status
Training Curriculum materials)
available
Early Learning and 2002 – Led by NaCCA (CRDD) developed with key stakeholders (UCC/UEW;
Development Standards NaCCA; NTC; DoC; ECD Practitioners: Indicators used for the development of
(ELDS) the KG Curriculum and National KG INSET Framework
The ELDS is an age appropriate benchmark, which provides reasonable
expectations for children’s growth, development and learning in the preschool
years, which informed the National Framework for In- Service Education and
Training (INSET) for Kindergarten (KG) and the KG Curriculum to guide teachers
in early learning programmes to develop children holistically and evaluate the
experiences of KG children.
ECCD Policy 2004 – Led by MoGCSP and coordinated through Department of Children (with
established NCCE to oversee implementation):
The ECCD policy (aged 0-8 years) provides a framework for the guidance
of government and other relevant sector ministries, District Assemblies,
communities, families, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) and the Development Partners for investment in, and effective
implementation of ECCD programmes. A revised ECCD Policy with emerging
ECD components and linked with ECE should be available by 2021.

available
ECE Teachers’ Manual for Pre- 2011 – initiated by TED from 11 modules merged into 5 modules (3 modules
Professional Teachers 1, 2 & 3 for Pre-service; 2 modules for In-service), which provides rich and detailed
instructional content to guide KG pedagogical delivery at both pre-service and
in-service:
Teachers’ Manual 1 M1 Pre-school Goals, Principles and Procedures

Physical Environment, Equipment and Materials
Teacher and Curriculum application in the Kindergarten
Teaching Kindergarten Children
Teachers’ Manual 2 M2 Social Awareness, Health and Safety

Language and Literacy in the Kindergarten
Building the individual through Science/Environmental Studies
The Development of Mathematical skills in the KG
Teachers’ Manual 3 M3 Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts Handling Children
with Special Needs and Challenging behaviours Assessment of Child
ECE Teachers’ Manual for In- Progress and Communicating with Families and Community Building
Service (INSET) 1 & 2 Positive Relationship among Children,Colleagues and Communities
M1 Pre-school Goals, Principles and Procedures
Teachers Manual 1 Physical Environment Equipment and Materials in ECE.
Teaching KG Children
Language and Literacy Development of Young Children
M2 Building the Individual through Science and Mathematics
Teachers Manual 2 Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts
Handling Children’s Behaviour
Assessment of Child’s Progress and Communicating with Families

available
Leadership for Change 2014 – Initiated by TED with key stakeholders. Guides Management Level
(A handbook for GES Personnel with knowledge and skills for effective management
Management Staff)
Leadership for Learning (A 2014 – Developed with key stakeholders and led by NTC. Available at NTC-MoE:
handbook for Head teachers/ Guides Circuit Supervisors and Head teachers with knowledge and skills for
Circuit Supervisors effective learning
National Child’s Progress and 2016 – Led by BED/ECD-GES, developed with NaCCA, NTC with key stakeholders
Assessment Manuals for KG1/2 UEW/UCC, Colleges of Education and available at BED/ECD-GES: The child
Teachers (includes teachers’ progress and achievement report supports the developmental domains and
manual) ability to acquire required skills spelt in the Early Learning Development
Standards (ELDS)
Teachers Guide for Inclusive 2016 – Led by NaCCA/SPED and developed with support from IE expert and
Education Supplementary available at NaCCA/SPED: A guide to classrooms become child friendly with
Readers diverse backgrounds and different abilities to learn, play, socialize and have
their needs met. Serve as a resource material and suggests ideas/approaches
for teaching by individuals, teachers based on the pack (7 stories-Living
together, Learning together)
National Kindergarten 2016 – Led by BED-ECD-GES, developed with NaCCA and key stakeholders -
Minimum Guidelines UCC/UEW and available at BED/ECD-GES. Contains minimum guidelines under
GES’ quality assurance framework to guide the operations of KG and to ensure
all stakeholders follow prescribed instructions for the establishment of KG.
Also serve as reference materials for management and monitoring of KG in the
country.
National KG In-Service 2016 – Led by NTC(TED) and NaCCA, ECD, SPED, NNTTC, developed with key
Framework stakeholders UCC/UEW, CoE, Regional/District KG Coordinators, FHI360,
NGOs (Sabre Trust, Lively Minds) Practitioners and Teachers: An integrated
and harmonized play-based child-centred framework with teacher and pupil
competencies to guide and assess KG pedagogy and the level of knowledge,
skills and attitudes for pupils/teachers.

available
National Framework for the 2016 - Led by NaCCA with NIB, BED/ECD-GES and developed with key
development of KG Materials stakeholders – Publishers, Writers, Institute of Languages, Illustrators, NTCTED,
ECD, Association of Writers, National Book Council, FHI360: The Framework
is designed to help establish to guide and facilitate with the development of
supplementary readers to build strong foundation for KG education. It further
facilitates KG resource persons to plan, design and deliver KG pedagogy and
age appropriate activities and to use more gender responsive KG approaches
and methodologies during KG learning activities for KG pupils. It further serves
as a basic guideline (standards) for curriculum developers or writers/designers
of supplementary materials to produce age-appropriate and gender/inclusive
responsive materials for KG pupils. It is accompanied by 57 different books
developed by the Ministry of Education, which serve as illustrators.
The focus should be on the 20 story books in a progressive manner for the KG
learners to generate interest and improve KG1 and 2 children’s ability to read.
Social and Behaviour Change 2016 - Led by BED-GES with an external expert and wider key stakeholders:
Communication Strategy (for Effective communication strategy which creates the awareness and provide a
improving quality and access platform for the populace to discuss challenging issues benefiting education to
to basic education) parents and other stakeholders.
National Inclusive Education 2017 - Led by NTC developed with key stakeholders- SPED, NaCCA, Colleges
INSET Module of Education, UCC/UEW, FHI360, Practitioners and IE Resource Persons: The
module presents a broad understanding of Inclusive Education, but not
limited to disability and designed to empower and equip tutors/teachers with
the necessary teaching methodologies and strategies to accommodate the
learning needs and speed of all children. It provides simple and replicable
solutions adapted to the local context of Ghana.

available
0-3-year-olds Standards 2018 – Led by the MoGCSP through NECC and coordinated by DoC1[1]
and external experts: Developed document on 0 – 3 years standards was
developed to complement the other existing ECCD documents which
provide guidelines for caregivers, including parents, towards achieving the
developmental milestones or competencies within the age bracket 0-3. It also
provides recommendations on over-arching strategies and support practices
for state and non-state actors towards the achievement of these competencies.
This document is important to ensure that all caregivers including parents can
support their children based on simulations outlined.
Pre-Service Curriculum 2018 - Led by Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-Tel) with UCC/
Framework UEW, CoE and external experts: Developing a comprehensive pre-service
package that will impact on the preparation of future teachers including
the need for: a national vision for teacher education; developing national
standards for teachers; a national competencies framework for teachers and
ultimately, a new curriculum that will guide the training of teachers to support
all learners including those with special needs (+ children with disabilities) in
Ghana2[2].

available
KG (ECE) Curriculum 2019 – Led by NaCCA in collaboration with ECD-GES: The curriculum
identified the importance of young children learning in an integrated way, is
standards-based. It is our demonstration of placing learning at the heart of
the KG classroom and ensuring that all KG children receives quality education
to meet the human capital needs of our country required for accelerated
sustainable national development. Hence the new KG curriculum sets out
clearly the learning areas that need to be taught, how they should be taught
and how they should be assessed. It provides a set of core competencies and
standards that KG learners are to know, understand and demonstrate as they
progress through the curriculum from one content standard to the other and
from one phase to the next. The curriculum and its related teachers’ manual
promote the use inclusive and gender responsive pedagogy within the context
of play and learning-centred teaching methods so that every KG child can
participate in every learning process and enjoy learning. It encourages the use
of information communication technologies (ICTs) for teaching and learning as
teaching and learning material (TLM) at the KG level.
Teaching/Learning Package for 2019 – Led by GES in collaboration with National Council for Curriculum
KG(ECE) Assessment (NaCCA); National Teaching Council (NTC) and other key
stakeholders in the ECD/ECE space has identified elements for different TLM
packages, namely
Minimum TLM packages,
Model TLM packages,
Resource Centre packages.
The TLMs for each of the 3 levels include (minimum school package, model
school package and schools’ resource centre package), which can either be
locally sourced by teachers, PTA and the communities and/or purchased
for teachers to enhance their work. At least 95% of all the materials3 in the
minimum package should be available for rating the package as complete.
With regards to model package and resource centre, at least 70% of the key
elements are required. Additionally, an evaluation tool has been developed for
measuring availability of TLMs in schools.

Annex ‘B’: Mapping of NGOs (ECD/KG) and National Technical Experts
Organisation Mandate
Ghana National Education Campaign A network of civil society organizations, professional groupings,
Coalition (GNECC) educational/ research institutions and other practitioners
interested in promoting quality basic education for all including KG
service delivery.
National Nursery Teacher Training Train Public and Private practitioners teaching including the
Centre (NNTTC) development of training materials for KG
Sabre Education (SE) Construction of safe sustainable child friendly designed ECE/KG
complexes
Transformational Teacher Training for Pre-Service and Inservice
teachers in play-based pedagogy.
Lively Minds (LMs) Community engagement and volunteerism, discovering play-based
teaching, accepted by MoE/GES and scaled to 60 districts across the
country. Support the development of TLMs.
Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA) Rigorous, applicable research by building foundational research
capacity and conducting evaluations in areas of education including
ECE (e.g. QP4G research).
ECD Council Association of Ghana Private practitioners’ association, with oversight responsibilities
influenced by government’s decisions relative to ECD/KG service
delivery (possibly registered under them and using the minimum
guidelines as a benchmark for measuring standards)
Day Care Centre Association of Ghana Private Practitioners association, influenced by government’s
(DCCAG) decisions relative to ECD Centres (possibly) registered under them
and using the minimum guidelines as a benchmark for measuring
standards)
World Vision International Provides school infrastructure for KG including the construction of
KG schools and provision of furniture, build capacity of KG teachers
and supports with the preparation of locally made TLMs.

Organisation Mandate
Right to Play Provide capacity building for teachers to influence teaching
practice, through the promotion of play-based approach to learning
and development with focus on quality education, life skills
development, health, gender equality and child protection. Also,
advocate for improved learning environment and works closely
with communities in the MoE and Agencies to integrate play-based
learning into educational policies. Right to Play has a wealth
resources which include:
Early Child Play manual- outdoor life skills sessions focused
on 4 areas of growth (cognitive, social, emotional, and
physical development, using play/games
Engaging Parents
Development of TLMs
OMEP Ghana (World Organization for Private Practitioners association, influenced by government’s
ECD) decisions relative to ECD/KG service delivery (possibly registered
under them) and using the minimum guidelines as a benchmark for
measuring standards
IDP Foundation Rising Schools Programme was launched in 2009 in Ghana to boost
the development of existing low-cost private schools by efficiently
delivering financial and capacity building services in an innovative
way designed to move away from aid based programmes
FHI360 Learning has developed a systematic, phonics-based reading

program that includes evidence-based tools and strategies to
improve reading performance including materials to train teachers
in reading programmes in 11 official languages starting from KG2
International Child Rights In-depth teacher training and administrators on effective methods
International (ICRI) in early childhood and primary education. Develop local TLMs

Guidelines For Implementation of ECE Policy

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GUIDELINES FOR THE EARLY

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION POLICY

ii Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation iii

iv Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation v

Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa

vi Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation vii

viii Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

BED Basic Education Division

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation ix

x Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation xiii

2 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Background and Introduction

Brief background of ECD in Ghana

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 1

2 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Purpose and Rationale for the ECE Policy Implementation Guideline

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 3

Objectives of the KG specific ECE Policy Implementation Guideline

4 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 5

6 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Some of the causes for late entry to school include:

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 7

Table 1 THE TRENDS IN ECE ENROMENT: 2010 - 2018

8 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Maintaining Standards & Registration/Regulation in ECE Service Provision

10 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

ECE/KG Teacher Standards and Development

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 11

Differentiated • Employ a variety of play-based pedagogical instruction (e.g. discovery,

12 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Assessment • Integrate a variety of formative assessment modes into teaching to support

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 13

14 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Quality: Some factors that affect quality ECE include:

Governance and Capacity: Some of the issues centre around:

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 15

16 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 17

The Six Action Areas of the ECE Policy

2. Curriculum Development and Implementation: The second action area is focused on

18 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

3. Pre-service and In-service Teachers:

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 19

4. Family and Community Engagement:

5. Child-Friendly Safe Space and Environment

20 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 21

22 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 23

24 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 25

26 Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation

Guidelines for the Early Childhood Education Policy Implementation 27