Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has detailed key priorities and ongoing reforms in the education sector during a parliamentary committee session in Koforidua, emphasising sweeping efforts to improve foundational learning, higher education, and infrastructure.
He also underscored the critical role of legislative oversight in ensuring transparency and accountability within the education sector.
“It is only through this exercise that we can account to the Ghanaian people how well and optimally we are using the public resources of Ghana, particularly to support education, which remains a bedrock of achieving sustainable development,” Mr. Iddrisu told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.
He pledged his continued active involvement in these oversight activities, stating their importance for holding the Ministry and its agencies accountable.
The Minister acknowledged persistent challenges, including a significant infrastructure deficit.
Despite the 1992 constitution’s promise of free and compulsory basic education, he said, “We still have an infrastructure deficit of about 5,000 schools under trees.”
He stressed the urgent need for equitable financing in basic education, saying, “If the child gets it right at six years, you can predict the next 80 years of the child’s future.”
Mr. Iddrisu underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to prioritising basic education, particularly its financing, as a cornerstone for sustainable national development.
While acknowledging the “revolutionary” impact of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in expanding access to education, Mr. Iddrisu raised concerns about its financing model.
He stated, “There was no dedicated financing for the free senior high school,” noting its reliance on annual budget allocations from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
This, he cautioned, risks undermining GETFund’s primary mandate of infrastructure development, as funds were diverted to sustain the Free SHS programme.
Providing an update on the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations, the Minister assured the public of thorough preparations by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC, backed by government security and logistical support.
He announced an investigation into reported exam-related threats and malpractice, reiterating the government’s “zero-tolerance stance on cheating.”
Mr. Iddrisu commended the Director-General of GES, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, for ensuring the smooth conduct of the examinations despite isolated disturbances, reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing a secure and peaceful environment for students.
On higher education, Mr. Iddrisu reaffirmed the government’s dedication to expanding access and enhancing quality across all levels.
He highlighted the pending Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill, expressing optimism about its imminent passage despite previous procedural misunderstandings.
He confirmed that the bill, which aims to formalize scholarship management, had indeed gone through Cabinet and was awaiting parliamentary approval.
He expressed the government’s responsiveness to public input on the bill, citing constructive proposals from the Citizens Coalition on Education, the Minister for Gender, and the National Union of Ghana Students.
“We have no difficulty accommodating these legitimate requests,” he said, committing to revise Clause 4 of the bill to ensure broader stakeholder representation on the governing council.
Crucially, he underscored the necessity for dedicated financing for the Scholarship Authority, proposing that “2% of Ghana’s oil revenue be allocated to the authority” to ensure its sustainable funding.
He drew attention to the current lack of a legal framework for scholarships since 1960, revealing, “Currently, I’m told we owe about 40 million pounds in outstanding scholarship debt.”
To address this, he proposed merging the Scholarship Authority with the Ghana Student Loan Trust to create a comprehensive entity responsible for scholarships and bursaries, relying on the proposed oil revenue allocation.
The Minister also reported that deprived universities such as CK Tedam, UENR, SDD-UBIDS, and UHAS had each received GH₵10 million for infrastructure development, with plans to extend similar support to additional universities.
He further outlined government plans to complete the teaching hospital at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), which requires “an additional 46 million Ghana cedis and 38 million US dollars.”
He noted, “I’ve approved a request to GetFund to make these allocations, but we’ll need your support to ensure it doesn’t remain uncompleted.”
Reforms at KNUST also include a new legal framework to align its governance with contemporary needs.
Mr. Iddrisu advocated technical and vocational education (TVET), calling it “the future of addressing the unemployment question in Ghana.”
He announced plans to upgrade the Accra Technical Training College into a National Institute of Technology, modeled after Japan’s “KOSEN” system, aimed at strengthening TVET.
The Minister disclosed that the government had so far released GH₵800 million to the Conference of Heads of Senior Secondary Schools (CHASS) for food procurement.
He added that discussions were ongoing to share the responsibility for food supply, proposing that Buffer Stock and the Ghana Commodity Exchange handle 60% of the supply, while CHASS managed the remaining 40%.
“We are still negotiating; it is not conclusive,” he stated, emphasizing the president’s desire for improved quality, timely delivery, and appropriate quantities of food to enhance student welfare in senior high schools.
Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, welcomed the Minister’s address, commending the Ministry’s efforts and stating the Committee’s commitment to oversight.
He admitted the Ministry’s recent budget approvals and expressed satisfaction with reports from agency representatives.
Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe highlighted some pressing challenges raised during the Committee’s engagements, including the “sweeping of agency accounts by the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.”
He urged the Minister to facilitate the return of these funds, some of which were provided by development partners for specific infrastructure projects.
He also drew attention to logistical constraints, particularly transportation challenges faced by the Complementary Education Agency, and called for urgent clearance to recruit staff for critical vacancies.
He praised the Minister for prioritizing funding to WAEC, noting that “76.1% of the required resources for conducting the WASSCE and BECE had already been released,” expressing optimism that the remaining funds would be disbursed in time for timely release of examination results.
“We believe strongly that with you in the seat, we will reset the agenda for education in the country,” Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe stated, assuring the Minister of the Committee’s full support in advancing educational reforms.
GNA