Ghana education policy dispute over Arabic and Chinese languages

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is demanding an apology or the dismissal of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu following a controversy regarding the proposed introduction of Arabic and Chinese into Ghana’s public school curriculum. The dispute stems from a contradiction between the Minister’s previous announcements and President John Mahama’s recent statement that the Cabinet has not approved any such policy.

The NPP’s Education Sector Policy Committee argues that government actions, including curriculum development by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) and teacher training, suggest the initiative is already in motion. They have characterized the situation as an ‘administrative breakdown’ and ‘policy incoherence.’

In response to the debate, Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has suggested that the government should pilot the Chinese language in selected public schools before attempting a nationwide rollout. He noted that over 15,000 Ghanaians have already been trained in Mandarin through existing partnerships, and a pilot could help bridge the gap between private and public school access to competitive subjects.