Netherlands-based NGO organises education forum

Netherlands-based NGO organises education forum
July 19, 2010
Accra, July 19, GNA - Aflatoun, a Netherlands-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), on Monday organised an education forum in Accra, to empower children to have better understanding of issues regarding social and financial education.

The forum that was jointly organised by Netherlands Development Organisation and Ghana Education Service (GES), sought to facilitate and support the implementation of Aflatoun programmes by developing a relationship with partners and providing technical assistance and service.

Mr Paul Moclair, Director of Aflatoun in charge of programmes, said that the NGO was a global movement operating in more than 75 countries for about 700,000 children aged between six to 14 years.

He said it sought to encourage children to believe in themselves, know their rights and responsibilities, understand and practice saving and spending and start their own innovative enterprise, and 41 of the countries were implementing the programme in schools.

"Aflatoun's approach consists of a comprehensive curriculum, which balances social education with financial education, and encourages children to practice what they learnt through participation in child-led social and financial activities such as social campaigns and setting up savings system," Mr Moclair said.

He said that the curriculum was divided into eight levels presented in workbooks used by teachers' education practitioners.

Mr Victor Mantey, Director of Teacher Education Division of GES, launching Ghana Aflatoun Books at the forum, said that quality education was essential to the development of the individual and the nation, hence government's commitment to ensure that programmes that promoted children's learning and development were given the necessary recognition and support.

He said that the curriculum would help children to investigate their own personal values, self esteem, explore their financial ethics and learn the importance of balancing financial skills with the judgment to use these skills effectively.

Mr Mantey stressed that the books would help children to learn about their rights and pursue their responsibilities at the family and the society levels.

He said other thematic areas of the programme, which would impact on the attitudes of children, were equipping them with the prerequisite skills and knowledge about saving and spending, planning and budgeting and social and financial enterprise.

Mr Mantey said "If we are able to reach all pupils, our future leaders on the Aflatoun programme, we would be having responsible future leaders. Implementers of the programme have a duty to make sure that it succeeds".

Ms Patricia Fafa Formadi, Director of Women and Development Project, said that the programme was designed in child-cantered and friendly methods approach, through songs, games and worksheet, which enabled them to learn faster.

She asked teachers to use the child-cantered methodology than lecturing to help motivate children to learn and know their talents.

GNA