Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education has said the government had identified foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, as a priority for improving education outcomes.

🇬🇭 Here's What Happened

He said increased access to schooling had not necessarily translated into improved learning outcomes, requiring a shift from measuring educational progress through enrolment and infrastructure alone.

Mr Iddrisu made the statement at the Ghana and Regional Foundational Learning Evidence and Implementation Support Day in Accra, organised in collaboration with the World Bank, UNICEF and the Jacobs Foundation.

He said Ghana had made significant progress in expanding access to education, with primary school enrolment approaching universal levels, increased participation across the education system and improved completion rates.

📌 Key Details

The Minister said the country must now address the challenge of ensuring that children in school were acquiring the knowledge and skills expected at their respective levels.

“There are learners in school who are simply not learning,” he said, stressing that foundational learning was the gateway to success at every level of education.

Mr Iddrisu said education outcomes should be assessed not only by the number of schools constructed or quality assurance mechanisms established, but also by whether pupils were acquiring the competencies expected at their respective levels.

stressed the importance of research and evidence in shaping education policy and resource allocation.

Citing findings from the Auditor-General’s report on education and the Ghana Education Service, Mr Iddrisu said about 10,700 public basic schools across 13 regions, with a combined enrolment of more than three million pupils, lacked adequate classroom facilities.

He described the situation as unacceptable, particularly in view of Ghana’s constitutional commitment to free, compulsory and universal basic education.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana