The conceptual framework of EfE involves three key areas of focus. It is based on well-tested educational approaches, which work in harsh rural contexts and can be adapted to suit children in difficult circumstances (including refugee children and internally displaced children). The three key elements address: (i) the need to reach out of school children with simple literacy and numeracy programmes, (ii) the need to improve quality of education through increasing teacher motivation and empowerment and finally (iii) strategies which address the improvement of educational opportunities for girls.

Emphasis in the programme is on assisting Ghanaian organisations and civil society in their effort to, through interaction with the formal education system, increase accountability within the education sector in Ghana. Simultaneously EfE supports the capacity of civil society actors through organisation support and capacity building to interact with local government structures on issues relating to education. The programme strategy aims at moving beyond isolated project islands at district level by simultaneously focusing on District level activities and national advocacy activities.

As a thematic programme, EfE aims at developing synergy between these levels of intervention, in the sense that national advocacy work by Ghanaian civil society organisations should be based on real experience and research at local level. Likewise the programme will through interaction between local and national actors support the dissemination of national policies and good practices to local level.

Specifically, EfE is operating in the Buduburam refugee settlement in the Central Region of Southern Ghana, the Bole/Sawla-Tuna-Kalba districts in the north-western part of the Northern region of Ghana and the East Gonja district in the eastern part of the Northern region.

Ibis works for a just world, in which all people have equal access to education, influence and resources.