The Ministry of Education has proposed setting aside 2% of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) annual allocation as an emergency intervention fund to enable the government to respond swiftly to crises affecting schools and learners.Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu said the proposal has the backing of the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and would give the Ministry greater financial flexibility to address emergencies, including conflicts, floods, and other disasters that disrupt teaching and learning.The minister made the announcement during an engagement with Associates for Change, a Ghanaian research and consulting organisation specialising in social policy, equity and international development, on September 24.The proposal comes amid growing concerns over the impact of conflicts, disasters, and other emergencies on children’s access to education, particularly in vulnerable communities.Research by Associates for Change indicates that West Africa accounts for the largest proportion of out-of-school children on the African continent, with many children living in communities affected by insurgencies and other forms of conflict.The organisation says these conditions continue to expose children to prolonged disruptions to their education.Speaking at the engagement, the minister said government had already begun putting measures in place to protect children and support the continuation of education, particularly in communities affected by emergencies.He said the proposed emergency fund would provide the Ministry with the resources needed to respond more quickly when crises occur, rather than relying entirely on lengthy budgetary processes.The discussion formed part of preparations for the second High-Level Conference on Education in Emergencies in West Africa, which is expected to explore African-led approaches to protecting children and ensuring continuity of education during periods of crisis.Director and Founder of Associates for Change, Dr Leslie Casely-Hayford, also shared findings from the organization’s research on education in emergencies in Ghana and across the region.She highlighted the importance of preparing teachers to work effectively in communities that face recurring challenges such as flooding, climate-related disasters, and insecurity.Dr Casely-Hayford recalled an earlier policy under which trainee teachers were bonded to district education offices to encourage them to return and serve in their communities after completing their training.“Ten years ago, five years ago, the Ministry had a policy that before a teacher entered training college, they should have a bond with the district education office to serve back in those communities,” she said.According to her, research by Associates for Change suggests that such an approach can help teachers better understand and respond to the specific circumstances of the communities in which they work.“Our studies have shown that once we do that type of approach, it allows for the teachers to contextualize their training programmes,” Dr. Casely-Hayford said.She added that teachers who are prepared in this way can be better equipped to serve in districts affected by flooding, climate change, or insurgencies.“When they’re coming out of teacher training, they are ready to serve in their region, in their district, which sometimes is affected by flooding or by climate change or by insurgencies,” she said.Dr Casely-Hayford further stressed the need to equip teachers with skills to provide psychosocial support to children and colleagues affected by emergencies.“In those areas, we are using an approach that is helping teachers become more prepared and more ready to serve in those areas, including the psychosocial support for their teaching and learning,” she said.Stakeholders at the engagement said conflicts, disasters and other emergencies pose a significant threat to children’s access to education and can deepen existing inequalities.They stressed that stronger emergency preparedness, adequate financing, and sustained investment in education would be essential to maintaining learning when crises occur.The proposed 2% GETFund emergency allocation is therefore expected to form part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to respond to emergencies and minimize disruptions to schooling.The upcoming high-level conference will bring stakeholders together to examine how countries in West Africa can develop and implement African-led solutions to protect children and ensure continuity of education during emergencies.