UNGA81: ECCE must be integrated into Ghana’s foundational learning strategy – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, has called for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to be fully integrated into national foundational learning strategies, stressing that a child’s education begins long before entering primary school.

Dr. Apaak made the call on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) during a forum on the theme, “Building Strong Foundations: Why ECCE Must Be Integrated into National Foundational Learning Strategies.”

He said Ghana cannot effectively address challenges in reading, writing and mathematics without paying greater attention to children’s development during their early years.

“Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, is not an optional part of school education. It is the foundation of school education,” he said.

According to Dr. Apaak, more than 90 percent of brain development occurs before the age of five, making the early years critical for developing language, memory, emotional regulation and social interaction skills.

He said foundational learning should therefore be treated as a continuous process from birth through the early grades rather than beginning when a child enters primary school.

“A child’s first day of school is not the first day of her learning,” Dr. Apaak said.

He noted that Ghana already provides two years of free and compulsory kindergarten for four- and five-year-olds and has developed a costed National Early Childhood Education Policy.

Dr. Apaak urged policymakers and development partners to better align investments in early childhood and primary education to give children a stronger foundation for lifelong learning.