“Governance is for the people, by the people, and of the people.”
These words come to mind whenever I reflect on Ghana’s education policies. They remind us that government actions should involve citizens and ultimately benefit them.
Yet, in Ghana, education reforms often raise more questions than answers.
Over the years, the education system has experienced several policy reforms. From independence to the present, teachers, parents, and learners have received new policies with mixed feelings. Hope on one hand and doubt on the other.
Experience has shown that many reforms appear impressive in announcements and publicity but have little impact in actual classroom practice.
A recent study by the University of Cape Coast’s Institute of Education has revealed serious challenges affecting the effective implementation of Ghana’s Standards-Based Curriculum (SBC). These challenges raise concerns about the quality of basic education nationwide.
The nationwide study found that 53% of teachers teach without lesson plans or any form of teaching and learning resources. This situation was linked to inadequate training, lack of materials, and weaknesses in the curriculum rollout process.
The SBC, introduced in the 2019/2020 academic year, was designed to move teaching away from rote memorisation toward practical, globally relevant skills.
However, the study revealed that many teachers still rely on traditional teaching methods because they do not fully understand the curriculum’s philosophy and expected competencies(Channelonenewsonline.com)
Many policies seem to appear successful on paper but fail to improve real learning outcomes. Can stakeholders truly be blamed for being cautious each time a new reform is announced?
Stakeholder collaboration
The importance of consulting stakeholders in policy planning cannot be overstated. Teachers, school administrators, and parents offer valuable insights that help ensure smooth implementation and measurable results.
Unfortunately, some education policies in Ghana are introduced without consulting key stakeholders.
For instance, when the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy was introduced, leaders of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) openly complained that they were excluded from the policy development process. Without the input of those expected to implement such policies, even well-intended reforms risk implementation difficulties and loss of credibility.
Encouragingly, recent statements from political leaders suggest an awareness of this problem. President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the government would work closely with teacher unions to carry out reforms at all levels of education, to adequately prepare Ghanaian children for the future.
He made this commitment in Accra while opening the Seventh Quadrennial and 54th National Delegates Conference of GNAT. If such promises are backed by action, they could help rebuild trust and improve policy outcomes.
Past experiences
Recent developments continue to expose the gap between policy announcements and classroom realities. A few months ago, the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, announced plans to introduce Chinese as a subject in basic schools.
While the announcement sparked curiosity, it also triggered concern among many Ghanaians on social media. One comment read:
“Even French was a problem; we struggled with it.”
This reaction reflects past challenges with foreign language instruction and raises questions about whether introducing another language is realistic under current conditions.
Policies that fail to consider past experiences often face resistance or fail to achieve their intended goals.
Public skepticism
Some education reforms continue to struggle even after implementation. The Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy, for example, aims to ensure that every child is enrolled in school. Yet, many children especially in parts of Northern Ghana remain out of school. According to the Director of Eduwatch, a significant number of children are still loitering or absent from school.
This situation threatens public confidence in future reforms.
Other initiatives, such as the School Feeding Programme, have also faced serious challenges. In some instances, food items were misappropriated, while in others, caterers were not paid for their services. These issues nearly collapsed the programme on several occasions, highlighting the need for strong monitoring and accountability.
Bridging the gap
Ghana’s education reforms are often well-intended, but good intentions alone are not enough. For reforms to succeed, stakeholders must be involved from the beginning, past challenges must be addressed, and effective monitoring systems must be put in place. Classroom realities, not media headlines, should guide policy decisions.
Until reforms move beyond paper promises and produce measurable improvements in schools, scepticism will persist. Ghana cannot afford education policies that succeed only in speeches but fail in practice. Education is too important to be managed by appearances alone; it demands action, accountability, and meaningful participation from all stakeholders.
For Ghana’s education system to truly improve, reforms must be designed with the people, for the people, and based on real classroom realities. Anything short of this risks repeating a familiar cycle, promising change while delivering little impact.
By Henry Atta Nyame
Institutional Assessment practitioner
hattanyame@gmail.com
