The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson is calling for strong partnerships to improve education across the country.

The government of the United Kingdom has been one of Ghana’s major partners in the area of education, awarding thousands of scholarships and funding various programs to improve literacy and learning outcomes. In a message to mark international day of education, Mrs Thompson said the UK is working with its partners to deliver transformative education reforms.

“Here in Ghana we are working with our partners from the Government, civil society organisations and our development partners to deliver transformative education reforms focused on learning, and to reach more than 200,000 out-of-school children, supporting them to transition into school, to learn, to thrive and to transform our world”.

The year 2023 marks the mid-point since the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for people, planet and prosperity, with a set of 17 interlocked goals that will come up for review at the SDG Summit in September on the theme of investing in people

The UN says “Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the SDGs against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.

Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022, this year’s International Day of Education is focused on maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action.

Harriet Thompson in her message underscores the role of education in nation-building and hence must be prioritised at all times.

“As we mark World Education Day around the world, let’s remember that education, that sustained and easy-access to education is so much more than certificates, school-uniforms or classrooms – it’s how we build nations, it’s how we progress and it’s how we change the world”.

UNESCO estimates that six out of ten children cannot read and that 244 million children and young people are out of school.