President inaugurates Kwabenya Model Kindergarten
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Tuesday inaugurated the Kwabenya Model Kindergarten.
Each of the four classrooms is fitted with computers, electronic teaching and learning boards, electronic tablets and other learning and teaching materials.
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President Akufo-Addo described education as the equaliser of opportunities and the most effective way to change the fortunes of the African continent, adding that he was a President because of education.
He said prioritising investments in early childhood education was critical to the development of the country, and that quality and inclusive early education enabled all children, irrespective of their physical, emotional, social or medical challenges to come together to play and learn together.
Without these, he explained, the child would be deprived of playing and other critical things like cognitive, physical, social and emotional core competencies and language development.
KG blocks
President Akufo-Addo said it was for such reasons that the government had embarked on the construction of some 350 kindergarten blocks, out of which 160 of them had been completed so far and a number of dilapidated blocks were being renovated.
He indicated that the Arab Development Bank had also provided funds for the construction of kindergartens in towns such as Dadwen in the Nzema East Municipality, Apewosika in Cape Coast, Nsuta in Tekyiman, Kenyasi in Esutifi North and Atobease in the Adanse South district.
In addition to increasing infrastructure, he said, the government had reviewed the educational curriculum to standard base, which was being implemented across the country.
Standards-based curriculum of kindergarten moves away from teacher talk time and root learning for examination and encourages critical thinking, good teamwork, experimental learning and the development of core competencies required in the 21st Century.
This approach, President Akufo- Addo added, lent itself to the integration of ICT like the commissioned school and applauded BSW International for executing the contract for the construction of “this ultra-modern model kindergarten for the people of Kwabenya with funding from GETFund”.
He also noted with gratitude the creation of play-based environments across 110 kindergartens in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Oti, Western North and Central regions.
BSW International
President Akufo-Addo said the people of Kwabenya were grateful to the managing partner of BSW International who renovated the modern kindergarten and oversaw a successful pilot project of integrating ICT into the standards based curriculum.
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said the President was interested in ensuring that STEM education commenced from the kindergarten.
He said the government had ensured that the better days of the country were ahead through the provision of quality education from the early childhood stages.
The Chief Director of the GES, Devine Y. Ayidzoe, said BSW International was helping in the integration of ICT into kindergarten curriculum towards the development and training of right human resources for the country.
He said the introduction of technology into the teaching and learning space had brought great relief to both the teacher and the learner since ICT had changed the face of learning.