Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu Prioritises Foundational Learning as GETFund Tackles Infrastructure Deficits

Ghana’s education sector is undergoing a strategic shift as the government moves beyond increasing school enrollment to focus on foundational learning and infrastructure quality. During the Ghana and Regional Foundational Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day in Accra, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu emphasized that literacy and numeracy must be the primary measures of educational success. While gross enrollment at the kindergarten and primary levels is projected to exceed 100% by 2026, the Minister and the World Bank have warned that these figures have not yet translated into mastery of core competencies. Minister Iddrisu noted that over 10,700 public basic schools still lack adequate facilities, necessitating a revised national curriculum that integrates digital skills and ethical values, currently awaiting Cabinet approval.

To address these physical gaps, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has launched a nationwide Collective Furniture Appeal. This initiative, aligned with President John Mahama’s vision for the sector, seeks to mobilize resources from various stakeholders to eliminate the furniture deficits that currently hinder teaching and learning. In tandem with these efforts, the government has resumed work on long-stalled projects, most notably the Dorimon E-Block Community Day Senior High School in the Wa West District. The project, which was initiated during President Mahama’s first term but abandoned for nearly a decade, is now over 80% complete, with contractors expecting a handover by the end of October.

However, the transition between administrations has sparked debate regarding the availability of learning materials. Yaw Opoku Mensah, spokesperson for former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, recently challenged claims that textbooks for the new curriculum were non-existent. Citing official records, Mensah stated that over 14 million textbooks—including 4.3 million for Junior High Schools and 9.5 million for primary schools—were procured and distributed across the country. He urged current ministry officials to verify these records to ensure accurate public communication regarding the state of educational resources.

The focus on foundational learning comes at a critical time, as World Bank Director for Ghana Dr. Rob Taliercio highlighted a youth unemployment rate of 36.6%. The World Bank suggests that without significant investment in literacy and numeracy during early schooling, students will continue to lack the essential skills required for the modern workforce. As the government continues to balance infrastructure completion with curriculum reform, the success of these initiatives will be measured by whether Ghanaian students can achieve grade-level competencies that prepare them for higher education and economic participation.