Yinson Ghana, in collaboration with the Ahanta West Directorate of Education, has organised the second edition of the Phonics Training Programme for 170 teachers in the Ahanta West Municipality. The week-long training aims to equip teachers with skills to improve student literacy and foster good reading behaviour.

This year, the 170 teachers who attended consisted of kindergarten and lower primary teachers from across 98 schools in the Municipality. The first edition of the Phonics Training Programme, held in 2022, was attended by just 10 primary school teachers from four schools. Upon receiving positive feedback with a noticeable impact on students’ learning development, Yinson Ghana expanded the programme to accommodate more teachers across the municipality. Over 80% of this year’s attendees were receiving phonics training for the very first time.

For the Programme’s second edition, we welcomed back Ms Samelia Bawuah to lead the training sessions. Ms Bawuah is an author and a publisher with over 60 books to her credit. She believes that phonics training enables children to build a firm learning foundation in their formative years, allowing them to read, write and pronounce words better. She encouraged the teachers to adopt interactive learning, saying, “Use the alphabet to teach them, let them know the sound. Some students grasp it quicker, and others gradually pick what you teach. No child should be left behind, so it is imperative for you to have patience. Every teacher should personally see, hear, smell, and feel the enthusiasm to make a difference in the life of a child they have been entrusted with.”

Mr Aloysius Boadi, a representative of the Ahanta West Director of Education, believes it is essential to provide teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge to cultivate holistic development among students. He added, “Phonics is one such crucial aspect that lays the foundation for effective reading and language skills.”

Mr Edward Mensah, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator at Yinson Ghana, echoed Mr Boadi’s sentiment and stressed the importance of the programme for both teachers and students, saying, “As much as this programme is meant to impact the children, it will also place enormous value on you as teachers.”

Madam Juliet Ewuradjowa Abraham, a teacher at Ewusiejoe MA Basic ‘A’ school said, “The phonics training will enable me to teach the students better, particularly in the pronunciation of words. I have learnt the names of the alphabets and their sounds. The sound helps us to blend words and pronounce them. This will enable the teachers to impact the children in the English learning language.”

One of Yinson’s CSR missions is to promote quality education and effective learning for all.