Implementing National Accelerated Language Programme (NALAP) in Northern Ghana: Lessons from the Wing Schools

Abstract

Accelerated and complementary (alternative) approaches for schooling and education provision continue to gain grounds even at the post-2015 global mandate stages. The Wing School as an example of complementary basic education programme has made it possible to extend education to remote and deprived communities in Northern Regions of Ghana where the issue of non-enrolment and drop out incidences are high. However, the strength of the Wing Schools (WS) in Northern Ghana does not lie in its ability to boost enrolment alone but also to change the phase of schooling and learning. The language backgrounds of children from the hamlets and rural communities of the Northern part of Ghana are often from homogenous language contexts. This study reveals that when Wing Schools applied the NALAP programme to children from this background, leap to literacy and numeracy was smooth for the majority of the children. Recommendations from this for nationwide implementation has been presented.