Ghanaian education language curriculum dispute

A dispute has emerged in Ghana regarding a proposal to introduce foreign languages, such as French, Spanish, German, Chinese, and Arabic, into the national Senior High School curriculum. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu suggested these would be compulsory options, but President John Dramani Mahama denied that the cabinet had approved such a policy, citing practical concerns like the shortage of French teachers.

Academic critics have also opposed the move, arguing that students should focus on foundational languages and indigenous tongues rather than adding complexity with Chinese or Arabic.

The controversy escalated as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) demanded either a presidential apology or the dismissal of Minister Iddrisu. The NPP claimed that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) had already engaged writers to develop a revised curriculum and had organized teacher training with support from the Confucius Institute, suggesting implementation efforts were already underway.

The NPP’s Education Sector Policy Committee has characterized the contradiction between the Minister’s announcements and the President’s denial as an ‘administrative breakdown’ and ‘policy incoherence.’

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