By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Sept. 19, GNA – Right to Play Ghana, a Non-governmental organisation that empowers children to rise above adversity, in partnership with the National Teaching Council (NTC) and other stakeholders, have completed the pilot phase of the Play Accelerator Project.
The project is a blended learning initiative, aimed at transforming teaching practices and improving learning outcomes in basic schools to help teachers understand the standards-based curriculum to effectively deliver.
The 18-month project, which started in January 2025 and ended in June 2026, was implemented in selected districts in the Volta, Greater Accra, and Northern regions.
It sought to help teachers get a better understanding of the Standards-Based Curriculum and strengthen their capacity to deliver instructions through playful strategies that make the classroom fun, friendly and safe for learners.
At the closing session held in Accra on Thursday, speakers reflected on the lessons learned and the actions required to sustain and scale the project to the next level.
Mr Kwabena Gao, the Project Lead and Education Specialist for Right To Play Ghana, said the goal was to help teachers make learning more playful, which will in turn motivate children to go to school and improve their learning gains.
Although the standard-based curriculum was rolled out in 2019 with learner-centred, participatory and play-based approaches as key instruction methods, some gaps still existed in its implementation.
Mr Gao explained that the Right To Play partnered with the NTC to mount the training on the NTC’s e-learning platform for a wider coverage and allow teachers to access the course both online and offline.
He said 4,455 teachers were enrolled on the programme, with 2,565 successfully completing all two moudles and 17 units of the course at the end of the eight-week course implementation.
“Teachers were expected to study bit by bit every week and discuss their learnings at the Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions instituted by government, where peers supported each other to understand concepts and share strategies for classroom delivery,” he said.
“The system was designed such that a teacher cannot move to the next unit without completing the previous one, to prevent rushing and to encourage reflection and practical application.”
Mr Gao said data from evaluators showed transformation in the classrooms of teachers who actively participated in the project while those who did not take part struggled to apply the approaches.
He urged District Course Coordinators to follow up with coaching and mentoring support to ensure teachers applied the practices and knowledge acquired in their classrooms.
“In the future, we want to see that the classrooms have improved, the teachers are doing well in their teaching, and then the learners are also learning confidently to improve their learning outcomes within the education sector,” he said.
Teachers who completed the courseq++ were awarded Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points and a certificate.
Dr Issahaque Munawaru, Deputy Director, Ghana Education Service, Quality and Access, reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting quality teaching and learning, as well as partnerships that strengthened teacher professionalism, and promote innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
“The partnerships among Right To Play, the National Teaching Council, the European Union, and the Ghana Education Service demonstrate the value of collaboration in addressing educational challenges. We appreciate the contributions of all partners and stakeholders who have supported this initiative, ” he said.
Dr Munawaru urged stakeholders to build on lessons from the implementation and explore mechanisms for strengthening and scaling the blended play-based learning course.
Mr Harrison Akubor, the Head of Office, Right To Play, said the outcome of the pilot session would advance the project’s objectives and generate evidence to inform future programming.
He said the results of the pilot programme demonstrated the importance of collaborative efforts, involving government institutions, education stakeholders, teachers, and other relevant actors.
Mr Promise Mlagada and Celestina Naadu Doku, representing the Aveyime RC Basic School and Agomeda DA Basic School, respectively, shared their experiences on the course and urged other professionals to sign up.
Right To Play began working in Ghana in 2001 to support children’s health and well-being through vaccination campaigns and to address child protection needs.
Its programmes currently focus on ensuring children have access to quality play-based education, supporting girls to have access to education and opportunity as boys, and supporting children’s emotional well-being.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe