Gov’t cannot deny what it has already set in motion – Former NaCCA boss challenges Mahama on Arabic, Chinese policy

Former head of Ghana's National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) Dr Prince Hamid Armah has disputed President John Mahama's assertion that there was no policy to introduce Arabic and Chinese as foreign languages in Ghanaian schools. The former Deputy Housing Minister and Kwesimintim MP maintains that the actions of the Education Ministry and its agencies prove otherwise.

According to Dr Armah, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu publicly announced the mandatory inclusion of Chinese and Arabic as foreign languages at the secondary school level, directly linking it to the President's vision. This announcement came after the Ministry commissioned NaCCA to develop the curriculum, which resulted in the compilation of 160 writers and reviewers. The curriculum was finalized in July 2026 and presented to the Minister.

Dr Armah stated that the Minister subsequently referred the curriculum to the Ghana Education Service (GES) for review before implementation. He argued that the government only shifted its stance after facing questions about the proposed policy. Once inquiries emerged, the government claimed that the languages would be optional, acknowledging the existence of the policy.

Dr Armah also alleged that NaCCA had trained teachers to implement the Chinese curriculum shortly before Mahama's statement denying the existence of a policy. He questioned who authorized the Minister to announce the compulsory language policy in the President's name and who authorized NaCCA to develop the curriculum using public resources.

The former NaCCA boss further inquired about the government's lack of address regarding the availability of Chinese-language teachers before advancing the policy to the teacher-training stage. He pointed out that the government had already trained teachers even without addressing the most basic implementation question: the source of Chinese teachers.

Dr Armah emphasized that the absence of Cabinet approval does not negate the work done by government institutions. He maintained that the government's implementation of the policy, including the development of the curriculum and teacher training, is undeniable.