UN in Ghana marks International Day of Education with hands-on activities

A form three (3) student and the Assistant School Prefect of Akuapim Technical Institute in the Eastern region of Ghana, Nicholas beamed with pride as he pointed to the freshly laid blocks behind as part of repair works in one of the classroom blocks at Agyemantin M/A Basic School, also in the Eastern region of Ghana. He explained how the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education he received had given him the skillset to lay the blocks behind him and prepare him to thrive in today's world.

As part of activities to commemorate International Day of Education 2025, the United Nations and partners selected four schools in the Eastern region to benefit from facelift. Agyemantin M/A Basic School is one of the four schools. Some of the walls of the classroom blocks in the school were renovated and the rooms painted. The event was initiated by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Food Programme (WFP), with key stakeholders including the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Technical Vocational Education and Training Service (GTVETS). 

Staff of these institutions, community members and GTVETS students, guided by Nicholas and his colleagues laid bricks, plastered, painted the school blocks and planted trees, a clear demonstration to go beyond speeches and discussions. According to the organisers, their aim was to make this year’s International Day of Education more real, tangible and impactful by demonstrating to local beneficiaries the need for a conducive and safe educational environment.

Addressing the gathering, the Education Specialist at UNICEF, Christopher Nkrumah, stressed on the need to address climate and education challenges through home-grown solutions. He added that “TVET institutions stand out as strategic partners in championing innovative approaches to solving problems in schools, workplaces, and communities, and as such by leveraging their expertise, we can design and implement climate-smart and disaster-resilient learning facilities while addressing broader infrastructural and environmental challenges.” 

Elsewhere, 17-year-old Elvin Darkwa, a Form 3 student of the Demonstration School for the Deaf, another beneficiary school of the initiative, informed us that “education, specifically sign language, has empowered me and prepared me for the future.”  He expressed confidence to work and be successful after school.

The Municipal Director of Education for Akuapem South, Madam Elizabeth Afriyie said the Municipality is committed to providing education that is relevant and inclusive. “We are working to improve our education system to ensure that every learner has access to quality education, regardless of their background or circumstance,” she said.

In an interview, the Headteacher of Agyemantin M/A Basic School, Mr. Emmanuel Darko, expressed profound gratitude for the repair works and paintings his school received.