Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister, has hit back at the Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, over his recent claims of a crisis in the education sector.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader is exaggerating the situation for political benefits, quizzing him whether Ghana’s Educational crisis started just one and a half years ago.
He argued that the current challenges, especially the placement into SHS (Senior High Schools), are nothing new and have been happening over the last eight years when the NPP was in government.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Friday, September 11, 2026, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “And the crisis only happened one and a half years ago. That’s interesting. You know, for a Minority Leader, sometimes I reach out to them, and sometimes I give advice. I have always said that compromise is not a weakness, particularly in a democracy. You must give and take, and it’s important that we preserve the democratic ethos of our country.
“… The office of the Minority Leader is a very important office. So when you are not sure, don’t speak. Have you ever seen me retracting my words? No. When I speak, then I’m certain because the truth must rest with the Minority Leader,” he said.
He added, “In government, you may fumble; you may struggle because your government is inadequate. For instance, I’m struggling with placement… I would accept that we have come under overwhelming pressure to respond and be responsive to the needs of Ghanaian students and parents, justified, but it does not mean we should exaggerate it as a crisis.”
“So when the Honourable Afenyo-Markin says crisis, did that crisis start one and a half years ago? He should provide answers for that,” he added.
His comments follow Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, raising concerns about Ghana’s education, calling for a critical national conversation to address the challenges confronting Ghana’s education system.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the latest WAEC results must concern every Ghanaian, adding that the results show that the future of our children is under serious threat.
The minority leader argued that 183,233 young people completed secondary school without obtaining a credit pass in Core Mathematics, while the credit pass rate in English Language fell to 62.40%, its lowest level in four years.
He further noted concerns over BECE candidates’ placement, where 54,985 candidates were initially denied automatic placement into senior high schools.
Afenyo-Markin argued that more than 200,000 young Ghanaians are at risk of being left behind at both ends of the secondary-school system, calling on the government to stop reacting only when problems become public.
The minority leader urged the Mahama government to treat this as a major national crisis requiring immediate action and lasting solutions, saying, “When our children’s education is in crisis, Ghana’s future is in danger. The time to act is now”.
In a Facebook post, Afenyo-Markin wrote, “WE NEED A CRITICAL NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON EDUCATION.
The latest WAEC results must concern every Ghanaian. They show that the future of our children is under serious threat.
Some 183,233 young people completed secondary school without a credit in Core Mathematics, while the credit pass rate in English Language fell to 62.40%, its lowest level in four years. Performance in both subjects remains below the levels recorded in 2024.
At the same time, nearly 55,000 BECE candidates were initially denied automatic placement. We are hearing reports of children wrongly placed in special schools and others arriving at their assigned schools only to find no space. Yet government’s own figures show 859,828 vacancies for 623,072 candidates, while 85 private schools participating in Free SHS also have capacity. A self-placement portal is not a school place; every child needs an actual seat in a functioning classroom.
More than 200,000 young Ghanaians are therefore at risk of being left behind at both ends of the secondary-school system.
Government must stop reacting only when problems become public. It must publish the final placement outcomes, explain the rules and pass marks applied, properly fund teaching and remedial programmes, and provide clear pathways into TVET, apprenticeships and skills training for those who did not obtain the required WASSCE credits.
Mahama government is expected to treat this as a major national crisis requiring immediate action and lasting solutions.
Ghana urgently needs an honest national conversation about educational funding, teaching quality, contact hours, teacher motivation, learning materials, infrastructure and supervision. This must rise above partisan excuses because the future of an entire generation is at stake.
The NPP expanded access through Free SHS and created Free TVET, apprenticeship and skills-development opportunities because we believe no Ghanaian child should be denied a future by poverty or one set of examination results.
The 54,985 BECE candidates need real school places; the 183,233 WASSCE graduates need a second chance.
Mr President, parents are worried, children are anxious, and teachers are under pressure.
When our children’s education is in crisis, Ghana’s future is in danger. The time to act is now”.
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