–In conversation with education specialist Eleanor Sykes–
When we think about improving education, we often think about classrooms, teachers and textbooks. But what if one of the most powerful influences on a child’s learning isn’t found in school at all?
For more than 30 years, education specialist Eleanor Sykes has worked with schools, governments and non-profits across Sub Saharan Africa to improve learning outcomes. Together with AfriKids’ team in Ghana, she has helped develop resources for our Guardian Learning Circles- community-led groups that equip parents and caregivers with simple, practical ways to support their children’s learning at home.
We sat down with Eleanor to explore why caregivers are a core piece of the education puzzle and how meaningful change starts in the community.
Why are parents so important to children’s learning?
We often underestimate the role families play in their child’s education. It’s not about parents becoming experts, or having the time and money to do everything ‘right’.
It’s about a child knowing that their education matters to the people they matter most to.
It’s about parents knowing that everyday life is full of opportunities to support their child’s learning and education.
You don’t need to be literate or to have finished school to have an impact.
What does that look like in practice?
It might be as simple as asking your daughter what she learned today and making time to listen to the answer, rather than moving straight on to the next chore. It’s making sure she’s not the one who stays home when someone’s needed to fetch water or look after a younger sibling. It’s turning up to an important school event even if it means time away from farming, and telling your child afterwards what you’re proud of.
Children pick up very quickly on whether school is something their family values – and that can make all the difference between a child who is encouraged to keep attending school and one who quietly drifts away or is pulled out.
What challenges do parents face in supporting their child’s learning?
Parents are making incredibly difficult decisions and trade-offs every day.
Sending a child to school can mean losing an extra pair of hands on the farm. It can mean finding breakfast before they leave for school instead of feeding them later at the market as planned. It can mean paying for uniforms or transport when money is already stretched.
At the same time, many parents have lost confidence in education itself. They’ve experienced overcrowded classrooms, inconsistent teaching or schools that haven’t delivered the opportunities they hoped for. When families are asked to prioritise education, they’re being asked to invest in something they may not fully trust.
How can education feel relevant to families facing these pressures?
Connecting education to everyday life is important – not distant promises about future careers.
A better job twenty years from now can feel a long way off. The value of learning can be much more immediate when it supports everyday life- with families, communities and the things people do each day. Guardian Learning Circles use familiar, everyday examples to explore practical skills and ideas that parents can relate to and use in ways that are meaningful to them:
Being able to read the instructions on a medicine packet when your child is unwell. Knowing how much fertiliser to use when tending your crops. Working out the right change at the market. These are everyday skills that can make learning feel relevant, useful and connected to life beyond the classroom.
Reading and numeracy aren’t just school subjects. They’re life skills that help families make informed decisions every day. That’s what resonates.
When parents see education helping them solve real problems, they’re much more likely to value it.
Can parents really influence learning outcomes that much?
Absolutely.
Research consistently shows that when parents value education, children are more likely to attend school, stay motivated and achieve better outcomes.
Something as simple as knowing your child’s teacher, asking about their school day or showing an interest in their homework sends a powerful message that learning matters. Parents don’t need formal qualifications. They simply need to show that education is important.
How does this create lasting change?
Change becomes sustainable when communities own it.
One family starts walking children to school together to make sure they attend. Another gets to know their child’s teacher. Another makes time to ask about lessons each evening.
Those behaviours spread. Families learn from one another, expectations shift, and education becomes something the whole community values and protects.
Guardian Learning Circles are about building a culture where communities take collective responsibility for children’s learning.
What makes this different from traditional education programmes?
For decades, improving the supply side of education has been focussed on- building schools, training teachers and providing learning materials. Those investments are essential, but they aren’t enough on their own.
Real transformation happens when communities become active partners in education rather than passive recipients of it. This can influence not only if a child attends school, but whether they stay there long enough to complete their education.
Children learn by watching the adults around them.
If they grow up in a home where education is prioritised, where parents ask about school and encourage curiosity, they’re far more likely to carry those behaviours into adulthood and pass them on to their own children.
When parents believe in education, children believe in it too. And when entire communities champion learning, schools become stronger, attendance improves and children are far more likely to thrive.
That’s the change we’re supporting communities to create- stronger systems built around children that support meaningful education for every child.
Did you know:
AfriKids has worked hand in hand with communities in northern Ghana for more than 20 years, supporting families to overcome barriers to education and shape brighter futures for their children.
Through our Guardian Learning Circles, our teams are equipping parents to become confident champions of their children’s learning.
When families value education, children do too. And when communities stand behind education, every child has a better chance to learn, thrive and shape their own future.
Rise Up
Guardian Learning Circles are part of our holistic Rise Up programme which brings entire communities into their children’s education.
Piloted in northern Ghana, where children in rural communities face some of the greatest barriers to learning, Rise Up is a low-cost, high-impact approach that equips local people with the knowledge and skills to create lasting change themselves- helping children spend more time learning each week.
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