Isaac Asamoah Boadi identifies literacy and numeracy gaps in schools

Isaac Asamoah Boadi, a Senior Research Officer at the Ministry of Education, has highlighted persistent challenges in foundational literacy and numeracy across Ghana’s education system. Speaking at the Joint Research Dissemination Forum held at the University of Ghana, Boadi noted that despite significant financial investments and various educational reforms, gaps remain in early-grade learning. He called for a shift toward evidence-informed decision-making to ensure that research findings directly influence policy and classroom practices. The forum served as a platform for sharing findings from studies conducted under the Ghana Education Evidence and Data Lab (GEEDLab). Key areas of focus included the impact of community language practices on classroom performance and the implementation of the current curriculum. Research presented at the event suggested that a child’s readiness for formal education is often influenced by the dominance of their local language rather than the official language of instruction. This disconnect can hinder the transition to reading and writing in English, which remains the primary medium of instruction in higher grades. To address these issues, researchers at the forum recommended a more language-responsive approach to teacher deployment. They suggested that teachers should be placed in schools where they are proficient in the local language spoken by the community to better support early learners. Interestingly, some studies indicated that there was no significant correlation between home-school language alignment and specific reading skills, suggesting that literacy interventions must look beyond just language policy and consider broader instructional strategies and environmental factors. Boadi emphasized that closing these gaps is essential for the long-term success of Ghana's educational goals. By utilizing the GEEDLab to bridge the gap between academic research and government policy, the Ministry of Education aims to create more effective, context-specific interventions. The forum concluded with a call for stakeholders to adopt a more holistic approach to foundational learning that prioritizes data and real-world classroom experiences over theoretical assumptions.