Elevating The Ghana School Feeding Program to Nourish Minds & Enrich Lives: An Update on Ghana’s School Feeding Program

By Ernestina Addo

 

Hunger has long been a barrier to learning for children in poverty-stricken areas worldwide. To address this prominent challenge, Ghana embarked on a remarkable initiative, The Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP), to bridge the gap between children from poor backgrounds and access to food. Through the provision of meals, the program offers a lifeline to countless young minds and ensures that they have the sustenance they need to learn, grow and excel academically.

The Ghana School Feeding Program GSFP, launched in 2005 through a collaborative effort by the government of Ghana and the Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) Pillar 3, sought to eliminate hunger and simultaneously support local agriculture by utilising domestically grown food to provide meals for children.

According to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the GSFP has both long term and immediate objectives. The long-term objective is multi-faceted, with a primary focus on poverty reduction and addressing food insecurity, particularly in low-income households. Additional long term objectives include boosting domestic food production by sourcing from the local economy, thereby reducing reliance on food imports. This helps create a sustainable and self-sufficient food system for the country. The immediate objective of the GSFP is to increase school enrollment by providing children with a compelling reason to attend school regularly. The program removes a barrier that may prevent children from attending school due to hunger or the inability to afford meals (source).

A Flagstaff House Basic School caterer, Hajia Safiya Alhassan provided some insight into her experience with the school feeding program.

“The School Feeding Program has made a significant impact on countless children. Many parents face challenges in providing food for their kids, making some unable to send them to school. Thanks to the Ghana School Feeding Program, we have witnessed a steady increase in attendance.”

At its core, the GSFP recognizes the fundamental connection between nutrition and education. Providing regular meals to schoolchildren addresses a critical aspect of their well-being, ensuring they are adequately nourished physically and mentally.

This foundational support sets the stage for better learning outcomes, improved concentration, and enhanced student cognitive abilities.

In a recent mission on 4th and 5th September 2023, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu and her team supervised and elevated the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) in the Greater Accra Region. The mission aimed to enhance the program’s initiatives. During the visit, the Minister engaged in productive discussions with the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon Henry Quartey. The Minister also interacted with the media, discussing various topics, including the School Feeding Program, LEAP Monitoring Exercise, Streetism and the Affirmative Action Bill.

Additionally, the team visited schools, like the Police Depo School at Tesano, to assess the effectiveness of the school feeding program and engage with pupils. They also met with GSFP caterers to reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring all pupils benefit from the program and address challenges caterers face.

Re-imagining Education with Equity for All International Community School Hosts Annual Educators’ Bootcamp Conference in Kumasi Ahead of the 2023 – 2024 Academic Year

by Enoch Oye

In the continuously evolving sphere of education, it is imperative that educators remain at the forefront of advancements. Within the International Community School (ICS) framework, we uphold a significant tradition—an annual assembly of our entire staff across all ICS campuses preceding the commencement of each new academic year. Educators’ Bootcamp program is carefully curated to reequip and empower our staff with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes that align with the prevailing trends in education. This commitment is rooted in ICS’s mission to provide quality and inclusive education.

While most professional development in education is inclined towards the art of teaching, the Educators’ Bootcamp ‘23 took a deep dive into the science of learning to elevate teachers’ proficiency and impact. The key reference book throughout the program was How Learning Works, co-authored by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and John Almarode. The book emphasizes practices with high effect sizes and shows how teachers can design better learning experiences that align with the science of learning.

At the bootcamp, educators gained tools to effectively leverage knowledge of essential learning principles in the classroom. The Educators’ Bootcamp ’23 featured keynote addresses from two distinguished speakers: Dr. Charles Yeboah, the Director and Founder of ICS, and Mr. Kwame Simmons Sr., Director Of Education at the Hantz Foundation and founder of the renowned Simmons Advantage in the United States.

In his enlightening speech, Dr. Charles Yeboah delved into the thought-provoking theme of ‘Reimagining Education.’ He tasked attendees to explore innovative strategies and visionary perspectives aimed at reshaping the educational landscape to meet the evolving needs of learners in the 21st century.

Following Dr. Yeboah’s compelling address, Mr. Kwame Simmons delivered his keynote on “The Power of Growth Mindset: Fostering Resilient Learners.” Mr. Simmons highlighted real-world insights and challenges in learning. He also underscored the critical role of nurturing a growth mindset in students by empowering them to embrace those challenges, overcome obstacles, and develop themselves into resilient, lifelong learners. These thought-provoking addresses set the tone for an engaging and transformative Educators’ Bootcamp, inspiring our teaching staff to explore new horizons in education and empower their students with the tools for enduring success.

After keynote sessions, participants had the opportunity to engage in various learning sessions led by experienced facilitators, drawn from the Accra and Kumasi ICS faculty team. The learning sessions centered on the following five learning principles and strategies: Motivation, Attention, Elaborate Encoding, Retrieval Practice, Productive Struggle, Self-Testing and Goal Setting. The purpose of each learning session was to delve into the practical application of the principle in the classroom.  Additionally, educators collaborated in planning sessions to coordinate how learners can actively foster, nurture and sustain their learning through intrinsic motivation, productive struggle, self-testing and other learning principles. By designing mini lesson plans, assessment strategies, and classroom activities that incorporate these principles, participants ensured that their training directly applied to their daily teaching practices.

The resounding message throughout the Educators’ Bootcamp 23’ is that effective teaching is more than just delivering content; it’s about facilitating meaningful learning experiences. Educators believe that learning by doing is the most effective way to internalize key learning principles.

The annual ICS’ Educators’ Bootcamp is open for registration to all educators, both in the private and public sectors, with the hope of sharing and collaborating best practices across schools in Ghana.