The Honourable Minister Haruna Iddrisu outlined Ghana’s ambitions to expand national partnerships to improve learning outcomes for children through results-based financing, co-funding models, and strong collaboration between government, donors, and local actors.
London, 20 May 2025 — Global Schools Forum, in partnership with IDP Foundation and Jacobs Foundation, convened a high-level event titled “Leading the Charge: Ghana’s Mission to Transform African Education” on the sidelines of the 2025 Education World Forum in London.
In a wide-ranging conversation with newly appointed Minister of Education for Ghana, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, moderated by Bridget Konadu Gyamfi, Senior Programme Director at Big Win Philanthropy, outlined his strategic priorities: expanding foundational learning, investing in teachers, increasing rural access, and scaling national partnerships. Judith Herbertson, Head of Girls’ Education at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), delivered the opening remarks.
The event brought together 100 leaders from education funders, innovators, government and civil society to spotlight Ghana’s bold education reforms and explore the role of public-private-philanthropic collaboration in scaling equitable, quality learning in Ghana.
In her opening remarks, Judith Herbertson, Head of Girls’ Education, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, commented on the importance of implementing effective strategies for scale:
“In an increasingly complex world,” Herbertson noted, “it is paramount that Ghana’s young people are well educated.” She pointed to promising approaches, saying, “There is strong evidence supporting structured approaches, particularly in STEM education, structured pedagogy, and robust teacher training.” The biggest hurdle, she explained, is scale: “A key challenge we face is implementing these effective strategies at scale across Ghana. We must translate evidence into widespread improvements. If initial attempts to scale prove difficult, we must learn quickly, adapt, and innovate to overcome any implementation blockers.”
During the fireside chat, Minister Iddrisu outlined his vision to increase access to education, improve foundational learning, expand infrastructure and partnerships, improve access to education in rural areas, and committed to escalate every initiative that supports education across Ghana.
“My vision is clear: to expand access to education and teacher support to improve learning outcomes. This is our mission, and it involves a significant commitment to invest more in basic education. We must prioritise basic education, aligning with our constitutional commitment to free education and our stable democracy.
We must ensure every Ghanaian child has access to lifelong learning. This requires an aggressive expansion of infrastructure and partnerships for basic education.
“Looking ahead, we need to review curricula to respond to the needs of the future. Our pedagogy will also need to change to reflect the country’s evolving needs. Finally, we must develop innovative assessment approaches to truly measure progress. There is strong political commitment and support from the Ministry of Education, and this will escalate for every initiative supporting education across Ghana.
“If you don’t get the first stone right, the whole house will tumble,” he said. “Foundational learning is that first stone. We must build it boldly, especially for rural Ghana, where access is still limited and quality is inconsistent
“Crucially, there is a deprived rural Ghana that does not have access to quality education, lagging behind in terms of national standards. We need to work diligently to improve this.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to:
Aggressively expanding infrastructure and teacher development
Redesigning curriculum and pedagogy to match future needs
Innovating in assessment to better measure learning outcomes
“We are not just increasing access. We are investing in what truly matters: quality teachers, relevant curriculum, and accountable systems. Ghana’s children deserve nothing less,” he added.
The Minister also outlined Ghana’s ambitions to expand flagship programmes such as the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) —national initiatives that exemplify a focus on strong learning outcomes, results-based financing, co-funding models, and strong collaboration between government, donors, and local actors to improve learning outcomes. He also underscored the critical role of supporting teachers, data-driven reform, and inclusive stakeholder engagement as the country works to ensure that every Ghanaian child has access to high-quality foundational learning.
Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi, CEO of the Alliance for Women and Girls and Co-Chair of the Global Schools Forum Board, delivered powerful closing remarks:
“The real test is not just what we do in the next four years, but whether we plant seeds for transformation that last generations,” she said. “Are we scaling what works—or what’s merely convenient? Let’s not add to the burdens of teachers, but back them with bold support.”
Ghana has undertaken major reforms in recent years—from expanding free basic education and strengthening teacher professional development to launching the Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab) and piloting results-based financing at scale through GALOP. These efforts are part of the country’s broader Education Strategic Plan (2018–2030), aimed at transforming learning outcomes and system accountability.
Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP). Ghana’s flagship programme – (GALOP) – targets foundational learning and uses results-based financing to drive reform and coordination. Among the more notable accomplishments is the expansion of GALOP to all public kindergarten and primary schools nationwide through additional financing.
System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence (SCALE), a US$ 40 million co-funding mechanism bringing together the Jacobs Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, Fondation Botnar, and 10 leading cocoa industry partners. The first phase of GALOP and the subsequent scale up from 10,000 to over 15,000 schools has been supported by funding from the Jacobs Foundation, and other Scale Funders through the Systems Transformation, Multiplier Grants, Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the World Bank, and the Early Learning Partnership Multi-Donor Trust Fund. The scale up of the programme aligns with Ghana’s Partnership COMPACT objective of improving foundational learning for all.
Ghana Education Outcomes Project (GEOP), a component of GALOP, the government aims to reintegrate 70,000 out-of-school children by 2025, ensuring broader access and improved learning outcomes across all levels. The government’s efforts are also focused on ensuring equitable access, gender equality, and inclusive education, with policies addressing current disparities.
Why It matters: Leading for the continent
Ghana’s leadership in foundational learning, results-based financing, and cross-sector partnership sets an important precedent for Africa. What happens in Ghana won’t stay in Ghana; its success could shape education systems continent-wide. This moment is more than an event. It’s a blueprint, a provocation, and a call to act. Ghana is showing what’s possible. Now the rest of us must follow.
Reflecting on the discussion, Aashti Zaidi Hai, Founder and CEO of Global Schools Forum said:
“This important conversation on the sidelines of the Education World Forum convened government, funders, policymakers, civil society, and our community of education innovators to learn more about Ghana’s ambitious plans for education reform. Partnerships are essential to strengthening education systems and ensuring they serve all children. With GSF’s global community including 20 members in Ghana operating schools, school networks and education support organisations, we look forward to deepening our collaboration with national stakeholders in Ghana to help drive meaningful, equitable improvements in learning outcomes.”
Reflecting on the discussion, Corina Gardner, CEO of IDP Foundation said:
“IDP Foundation has been proud to partner with Ghana’s Ministry of Education for over 15 years. During this time, we’ve witnessed growing momentum and investment from international actors. With the right political commitment and intentional collaboration across government, donors, and local actors—including the often-overlooked non-state sector—we have a unique opportunity to build an inclusive, high-quality system that delivers for all children. The Hon. Minister Iddrisu has the opportunity not only to deliver inclusive, high-quality education for all children, but to demonstrate to the rest of the continent how bold, system-wide reform can be achieved”
Reflecting on the discussion, Dr. Samuel Kembou, Global Lead for Learning and Evidence, for the Jacobs Foundation said:
“Forging strategic partnerships is challenging, but convening with the Hon. Minister Iddrisu and our partners underscores our shared commitment to improving children’s lives through high-quality learning. The SCALE co-funding partnership, catalyzed by the Jacobs Foundation in collaboration with government, philanthropy, and the private sector, embodies this commitment. By grounding our decisions in rigorous evidence and scaling proven models, we can ensure every child in Ghana receives the best possible start in life.”
About Global Schools Forum
Global Schools Forum (GSF) is a collaborative community, innovation accelerator, and partnership builder for non-state organisations working to improve education at scale for underserved children in low- and middle-income countries. The GSF community extends to over 165 organisations working across more than 60 countries in the global south, reaching 122m+ children. In Ghana, GSF’s community includes 20 members directly impacting over 623,000 children across 4,231 schools, school networks and education support organisations.
www.globalschoolsforum.org
About IDP Foundation
The IDP Foundation is a global philanthropic organisation committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality education. It focuses on strengthening the education ecosystem through systems thinking, inclusive partnerships, and long-term solutions that scale. www.idpfoundation.org
About Jacobs Foundation
The Jacobs Foundation is a leading philanthropic organisation dedicated to improving child and youth development. It invests in evidence-based initiatives that strengthen education systems, with a focus on learning variability, early childhood development, and scaling what works. www.jacobsfoundation.org
