Government Awaits Stakeholder Inputs to Finalise New Education Curriculum — Haruna Iddrisu

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has disclosed that government is awaiting inputs from key education stakeholders as part of an ongoing comprehensive review of Ghana’s education curriculum, aimed at preparing students to compete effectively in the global job market.

According to the Minister, the revised curriculum, once finalised, will pave the way for the printing and nationwide distribution of new textbooks and teachers’ guides beginning early next year.

“The technical committee is working, and that is one of the major policy decisions the Ministry took in 2025 to bring finality to the process into 2026. The curriculum will be made available, teachers’ guides will be made available, and then we will get them printed,” Mr. Iddrisu said on December 24.

He explained that the curriculum review is anchored on equipping learners with relevant 21st-century skills, with strong emphasis on critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and practical competencies needed for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce.

“In the revised curriculum, our desire is to emphasize what the future of 21st-century education should be skills, competencies, and critical and analytical minds. We will be introducing robotics, coding, electronics and financial literacy as we prepare our learners for the world of work,” he stated.

Mr. Iddrisu made these remarks at the inauguration of four Colleges of Education in Accra, including Al-Farouck College of Education, Agogo College of Education and Gbewa College of Education.

At the ceremony, the Education Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to placing Ghana’s education sector on a stronger and more sustainable footing. He described the existing curriculum as outdated, stressing that it has negatively affected the quality of graduates produced over the years. He further identified the persistent lack of textbooks as a major obstacle to effective teaching and learning in schools across the country.

The Minister also drew attention to severe infrastructure deficits in many Colleges of Education, assuring that government will expand a 200-million-dollar World Bank facility to commence a nationwide infrastructure development drive starting next year.

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Another critical issue highlighted by Mr. Iddrisu was the amended GETFund law, which now places priority on supporting students with disabilities and special needs. He revealed that GH¢100 million has been earmarked by GETFund to promote inclusive and quality education.

“For President John Dramani Mahama, providing for the marginalised in society is key. Through GETFund, an amount of 100 million cedis has been dedicated to roll out a new initiative to finance free education, including feeding, in all special and integrated schools for about 9,000 learners,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Education Minister rejected suggestions that government should be blamed for the mass failure recorded in the recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). He said government, in collaboration with relevant agencies, will not accept the poor performance and is currently studying the Chief Examiners’ Report to guide policy interventions from next year.

“I refuse to accept, and the government of President Mahama, the Ministry of Education and the assessment bodies will not accept this poor performance,” he emphasised.

Mr. Iddrisu described the results as a wake-up call for a broader review of quality assurance in secondary education, attributing part of the challenge to years of neglect in school infrastructure.

“Many of these institutions, from 2008 to today, are still in a deplorable state. Not a dormitory or classroom has been added to some of the schools, and naturally that affects the quality of education delivery,” he noted.

He added that early assessments suggest the problem may be more related to students’ ability to apply knowledge particularly in mathematics rather than flaws in the examination process itself.

“While WAEC conducts the examinations, I have reason to believe the problem has more to do with application, especially in mathematics. Government is studying the Chief Examiners’ Report and will respond appropriately,” the Minister concluded.

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