Invest more in foundational learning — Haruna Iddrisu
The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has called for increased investment in foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, to improve learning outcomes and address persistent challenges in Ghana’s education sector. He said although Ghana had made significant progress in expanding access to education, access alone did not guarantee that children were acquiring the knowledge ……
Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged Ghana to invest more in foundational learning, specifically literacy and numeracy, to boost educational outcomes and tackle the country's education sector issues. Although Ghana has expanded access to education, merely having access does not ensure children are learning at their grade level, as Iddrisu highlighted during the Ghana and Regional Foundation Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day in Accra.
Addressing persistent challenges, Iddrisu emphasized the necessity of prioritizing foundational learning and allocating more resources to ensure children acquire knowledge and skills. He cited a 2019 Auditor-General's report, which revealed that approximately 10,700 public basic schools in 13 regions, educating over three million pupils, lacked adequate classrooms. This situation requires immediate intervention, especially considering the 1992 Constitution's guarantee of free, compulsory, and universal basic education.
Iddrisu stressed the importance of evidence-based education policies, citing an example where the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) identified around 10,579 underperforming basic schools and provided additional resources and technical support. He also acknowledged that equal financing does not result in equitable outcomes, as schools in disadvantaged communities face unique challenges and need tailored interventions.
The curriculum from kindergarten to Primary Six has been revised to enhance ethical and moral education, as well as digital and technical skills. World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Robert Taliercio, stressed the need for a stronger focus on digital skills to prepare Ghanaian children and youth for further education and employment.
Despite significant progress in access to education, with gross enrolment at the kindergarten and primary levels exceeding 100 per cent in 2026, many children still complete early grades without mastering foundational skills.
Taliercio pointed out that a 2019 International Finance Corporation (IFC) study found that only 22 per cent of adolescent boys and 8 per cent of adolescent girls possessed relevant Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, despite over 60 per cent of jobs requiring at least basic digital fluency. He noted that the skills gap between the education system and the private sector contributes to difficulties faced by young people entering the workforce.
Terri Sarch, the Development Director at the UK in Ghana, urged Ghana to move beyond pilot projects and scale up evidence-based interventions proven to improve learning outcomes. She emphasized that foundational literacy and numeracy are gateways to future learning and employment, stressing the need to translate evidence into policy and action at the classroom level. Sarch acknowledged Ghana's strong government ownership, committed institutions, and growing evidence base to drive sustainable education reforms.
Written by urgent.news from Ghanaian Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
