1. Presented by Hussein Abdulai Ziblim

2.  More efforts are being put in place by government to improve quality education in the country to match the increasing enrolment in schools.  Developments in this regard include plans at national level regarding early grade reading under social marketing and communication which will lead to creating demand for reading.

3.  A stakeholder forum is to be held to:  present data that has been collected on the status of reading in Ghana and discuss reactions.  obtain buy-in & participation in implementing the policy on reading in Ghana

4.  Proposed Policy on reading in Ghana:  reading will constitute 50% of the literacy and language subject  Review structure of the curriculum  Develop reading standards  Revive teacher professional development (Pre-Service and In-Service) – including the teaching of reading in the curriculum and teaching/training/support approach.

5.  This is an important development to SfL because it is aimed at providing quality education to the Ghanaian child.

6.  CBE alliance, led by SfL has worked tirelessly to put pressure on the government to fast-track the national roll out of the CBE policy.  Activities like orientation of the membership of the alliance, engaging with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and the formation of an Alliance Taskforce have all contributed significantly to the current state of preparedness of the government and DPs to implement the CBE policy nationwide.

7.  In pursuit of the component’s objective of supporting the government to implement the Complementary Basic Education (CBE) policy, SfL has closely monitored the national context in education and advocated alongside its allies to achieve the feat and can confidently report on some positive developments.

8.  CBE is now comfortably placed under the Basic Education Division of the Ghana Education Service.  The Basic Education Division has provided office space at the GES Headquarters in Accra.  Two senior officers from the division, have been designated as CBE desk officers who have started working in earnest towards the implementation of the policy

9.  An MoU has been drafted between GES and DFID as at the end of June 2012 to guide the implementation of the CBE but due to bureaucratic challenges the signing has been delayed.  Global Partnership for Education has agreed to fund CBE in deprived districts while DFID will fund the programme in the rest of the target districts.

10.  All these developments are indications that the CBE programme national roll out is becoming a possibility.  There is the possibility of all the parties (both CBE fund managers and implementers) placing SfL in a very strategic position in the implementation process.

11. Thank you