President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed reports that government has approved a policy to introduce Arabic and Chinese as compulsory subjects in Ghana’s public schools.
He described the reports as false, stressing that no such curriculum has been approved by Cabinet.
President Mahama made the clarification during a question-and-answer session at the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) in the Upper West Region.
He said any major change to the subjects taught in public schools would require Cabinet approval, adding that he chairs Cabinet and was not aware of any such decision.
“I chair Cabinet myself, and no new curriculum has been approved containing such a proposal,” the President said.
He questioned how government could provide Chinese teachers for every public school when Ghana was still facing challenges recruiting enough French teachers despite being surrounded by Francophone countries.
President Mahama also explained that the training of Arabic teachers was linked to the long-established English-Arabic Schools serving Muslim communities.
He said those schools were introduced during the administration of former President Jerry John Rawlings to improve access to education within Muslim communities.
The President therefore urged the public to disregard claims that Arabic or Chinese would soon become compulsory subjects across public schools.
He reiterated that there was no government policy introducing either Arabic or Chinese as compulsory subjects in Ghana’s public schools.
President Mahama said any future changes to the national curriculum would have to go through the appropriate approval processes before implementation.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
