The Chief Executive Officer of the Mulan Resource Centre, Thara Mills-Simond, has called for greater attention to the social and emotional needs of children, arguing that academic success alone is no longer enough to guarantee the holistic development of young people.

Speaking at the launch of the Pyramid Social Emotional Learning Programme in Accra on August 14, 2026, Mills-Simond said Ghana's education system must place equal emphasis on emotional well-being, relationship-building and behavioural development if children are to reach their full potential.

According to her, society often focuses on academic achievement while overlooking the emotional challenges many children face.

“We must ask what happens when a child is academically capable but struggles to regulate emotions, build healthy relationships, communicate needs, manage conflicts, demonstrate empathy or cope with the pressures of life,” she stated.

Mills-Simond explained that the Pyramid Model is designed to provide a structured framework for supporting the social, emotional and behavioural development of children.

She stressed that the initiative is not intended to replace Ghana's existing educational curriculum but rather strengthen the environment in which children learn and develop.

“The Pyramid Model is not about replacing or competing with existing curricula. It is about complementing what already exists and strengthening the environment in which our children learn, grow and develop,” she said.

She added that the programme seeks to unite government institutions, educators, practitioners, families and development partners around a common goal of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn, belong and thrive.

In an emotional reflection, the Mulan Resource Centre CEO revealed that her passion for the programme is deeply personal.

According to her, she was once a child who struggled emotionally and socially despite having a strong passion for academics.

“I am not only standing here to launch the Pyramid Programme. I am launching a product of a child who had to struggle emotionally, socially, and still had a great passion for academics,” she said.

She noted that her experience has reinforced her belief that Ghana's education system requires a structured framework capable of identifying and responding to the social and emotional needs of children.

Mills-Simond also expressed concern about what she described as increasing emotional and mental health challenges among young people.

She indicated that many children face difficulties not because they lack academic ability, but because their emotional and social needs are often overlooked.

“I see educational suicides happening these days not because children are not academically intelligent, but because there has not been a structure to ensure that the needs of the child are identified and addressed,” she stated.

Looking ahead, Mills-Simond expressed hope that the Pyramid Model would be carefully adapted to fit Ghana's cultural and educational context.

She described the launch as the beginning of a broader national conversation on emotional well-being, supportive learning environments and stronger relationships between schools, families and communities.

“We hope that the Pyramid Model will be thoughtfully adapted to the Ghanaian context and become a meaningful framework for supporting children, educators and families across the country,” she said.

She added that the ultimate goal is to create an education system where every child is given the support needed to succeed academically, emotionally and socially.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, belong and thrive,” she concluded.





JHM