Ghanaian actress and entrepreneur Yvonne Nelson has raised concerns about the state of education in Ghana. In an interview on JoyNews' she described a troubling encounter where she saw students using cutlasses to clear vegetation before attending their classes. She was shocked that such practices still persist and underscored the urgent need for reform in the education sector.

Nelson shared her dismay, saying, “We need to do better. I recorded a video on my phone after witnessing children walking to school with cutlasses. They told me they had to weed before their lessons. It’s astonishing that in 2024, this is the reality. How can we expect children to focus on their education when they’re already exhausted from physical labor? What if something goes wrong with these cutlasses? It’s unacceptable, and I wonder if the Ministry of Education is aware of these issues.”

Driven by her own experiences as a parent, Nelson has ventured into educational entrepreneurship. She established the Just Like Mama day care centre and recently launched the Yvonne Nelson International School, which caters to primary school pupils.

Her concern for education grew from her own challenges with her daughter’s early schooling. “When my daughter started school at one year and six months, I often noticed bruises or insect bites that the school hadn’t reported. Academically, I didn’t see much progress either. As a parent, you want to see noticeable improvements in your child’s development, and I felt that I could make a difference by applying my passion for education,” she explained.

Despite the challenges of managing a school while balancing her acting and production career, Nelson feels her experience in production has prepared her well for this new endeavor.