The Ministry of Education has called on West African countries, policymakers and development partners to make evidence-based investments in education to ensure children affected by conflict, disasters, displacement and other emergencies do not lose access to learning.

The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, made the call on behalf of the Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, at the Second High-Level Conference on Scaling Education Initiatives in Emergencies (EiE) West Africa (ACCELERATE+) in Accra.

Dr Apaak said education responses to emergencies had for too long been driven by urgency, warning that acting without evidence could result in scarce resources being wasted and interventions failing the children they were intended to support.

“Education responses in emergencies have for too long been driven by urgency. But urgency without evidence can lead to the waste of scarce resources and fail the children such interventions are intended to support,” he said.

He noted that West Africa was facing overlapping emergencies, including insecurity in the Sahel, climate-related disasters, displacement, public health crises and economic pressures, all of which continued to disrupt education.

According to Dr Apaak, the impact of these crises was not evenly distributed, with girls, children with disabilities, rural communities and vulnerable households often bearing the greatest burden.

“When education stops, the damage goes beyond lost lessons. Protection, nutrition, hope and the region’s future prosperity go with it,” he said.

He therefore urged stakeholders to rely on research and data to determine which interventions work, for whom, at what cost and under what conditions.

Dr Apaak said the ACCELERATE+ conference provided an important platform for researchers and policymakers from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and other countries to examine evidence on foundational learning, Accelerated Education Programmes, gender equality, social inclusion and the cost-effectiveness of education interventions.

Dr Apaak said Ghana’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated the importance of building resilient education systems capable of maintaining learning during crises.

He noted that Ghana relied on radio, television and online platforms when schools were closed, but acknowledged that children without devices, electricity, internet connectivity or adult support were left further behind.

“Those who were already disadvantaged fell furthest behind,” he said, adding that the experience demonstrated how a health emergency could quickly become an education emergency.

He also stressed that restoring access to school alone was insufficient, arguing that foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, must remain at the centre of emergency education responses.

He said Ghana was strengthening early-grade reading, promoting mother-tongue instruction and revising the curriculum from Kindergarten to Basic Six as part of efforts to improve foundational learning.

The revised basic-school curriculum has also been presented to the Education Ministry following a review process.

Dr Apaak further highlighted the role of the Ghana Education Evidence Lab and the Foundational Learning Action Tracker in monitoring progress, identifying gaps and supporting timely interventions.

The Deputy Minister identified four key investment priorities for West Africa.

The first, he said, was investment in resilience before crises occurred through risk analysis, contingency planning, safe school infrastructure and stronger regional and district-level education systems.

Second, countries must scale up proven interventions rather than allowing successful programmes to remain limited to pilot projects.

He cited Accelerated Education Programmes, community-based learning, low-technology remote learning and foundational learning innovations as areas requiring sustained financing.

Third, he called for equity to remain at the centre of emergency education programmes, particularly to ensure that girls, children with disabilities and displaced children were not excluded.

The fourth priority, he said, was stronger domestic financing and regional cooperation.

“Development partners are vital, and we are grateful for their support. But sustainability requires that governments own this agenda and budget for it,” he said.

Dr Apaak also urged researchers to make their findings clear and usable, policymakers to allow evidence to influence budgets, and development partners to align their support with national priorities and commit to long-term interventions.

He said education should not be treated as a luxury during emergencies but as a lifeline that provides children with stability, protection and hope.

The two-day ACCELERATE+ conference, being held in Accra from September 29 to 30, brings together policymakers, researchers, education practitioners, innovators, development partners and financing institutions to examine evidence and strategies for scaling education interventions in crisis-affected communities across West Africa.

Dr Apaak said the ultimate measure of success should not be the policies designed or pledges made, but the learning gains achieved by children, particularly those pushed furthest from classrooms by emergencies.