Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, has refuted claims that he is unhappy with President Mahama appointing him to head the Education Ministry.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, he is fully prepared for the challenges facing the Education sector.
He stressed that his appointment as Education Minister was a thoughtful decision by President John Dramani Mahama, following wide consultations.
He noted that his appointment aims at driving a reset of Ghana’s education system.
Speaking on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, December 24, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “Not at all, I’m sure President Mahama widely consulted in taking me to the Education Ministry, probably to help reset the education sector, which undoubtedly faces enormous challenges”.
He highlighted that Ghana’s education system faces deep-rooted problems, “From Kindergarten to Primary Junior High School to Secondary Education, there are significant challenges and problems that need to be dealt with head-on,” he stated.
The Education Minister added, “I’m sure he trusted my judgment in that respect, I have not disappointed in the last one year and I shall not”.
“We will review Ghana’s education generally in order that we will produce competencies that can withstand the 21st century,” he noted.
“Therefore we intend to work to equip Ghanaians with the 21st century skills, not just knowledge, but critical and analytical minds to contribute to the development of our country and global affairs,” Mr Iddrisu added.
Still on Education, Haruna Iddrisu has rejected claims that the John Mahama government is responsible for the poor 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) performance.
The Education Minister asserted that the poor. WASSCE performance cannot be attributed to the government.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, the poor result is a wake-up call for a comprehensive assessment of secondary education.
Speaking during the inauguration of the governing councils of four Colleges of Education, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “In Ghana, when students perform well, we credit the students. When they fail, we blame the Minister. I refuse to accept that the government of President Mahama, the Ministry of Education, or the assessment body is responsible for this poor performance”.
“Many institutions, from many years ago till yesterday, are still operating with the same infrastructure. Over the years, not a single dormitory or building has been added to their facilities,” he said.
“We intend to convert 30 Category C schools to Category B, 10 Category B schools to Category A, and expand infrastructure in all Category A schools,” he said.
He further revealed that the Mahama government has secured 200 million from the World Bank to end the double-track system in the SHSs.