Prof. Dr. Dampson, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana:
"Bridging the Gap: Ghana’s Innovative Strategies for Equitable Teacher Training in Rural Communities"
Tuesday, 3rd June 2025, 12-2 p.m., via ZOOM: https://wonderl.ink/@lehramt.international
Ghana’s urban-rural divide in education access reflects a global challenge: ensuring quality teacher training reaches underserved regions where shortages and resource gaps are most acute. This lecture examines Ghana’s pioneering approaches to bridging this divide, including mobile teacher training units, community-led mentorship programmes, and partnerships with local leaders to retain educators in remote areas. By leveraging low-cost, high-impact models such as the Circuit Teacher Community of Care (CTCC) initiative, where trainers travel to rural districts to upskill teachers on-site, Ghana demonstrates how systemic inequities can be addressed through adaptability and grassroots collaboration.
The presentation highlights successes, such as increased teacher retention in northern Ghana through housing incentives and community recognition schemes, while also addressing persistent hurdles like inadequate infrastructure and digital exclusion. It explores scalable solutions, such as integrating radio-based training and modular curricula tailored to rural contexts, which align with global efforts to democratize teacher education. Framed within Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), Ghana’s strategies offer critical lessons for addressing disparities in resource distribution worldwide.
The lecture concludes by advocating for cross-border knowledge exchange, urging policymakers and institutions to adopt context-driven, community-embedded models that empower rural teachers as agents of change.
Ghana’s journey underscores that equitable education begins with equitable training, a principle vital to transforming classrooms from Accra to Bavaria and beyond.
This digital guest lecture is part of the Inter-university Lecture Series 2025 - Global Challenges in Teacher Education, organised by the Bayerisches Netzwerk der Lehramt.International Modellprojekte.
For more information please contact:
global.trex (global teacher research and education exchange) Passau
Email: sabine-ophelia.blake@uni-passau.de, hazal.dogudan@uni-passau.de