The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is demanding either an apology from President John Dramani Mahama or the dismissal of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu over conflicting accounts about the government’s plans for Arabic and Chinese language instruction in schools.
The party’s Education Sector Policy Committee said the President’s claim that his government had approved no new policy on the two languages was inconsistent with actions taken by the Education Ministry and its agencies.
According to the NPP, Mr Iddrisu announced on April 24, 2026, that Chinese and Arabic would become compulsory foreign languages at the secondary school level, presenting the move as part of President Mahama’s education vision.
The party said the announcement was followed by curriculum development work by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), involving about 160 writers and reviewers.
It further claimed that the revised curriculum was submitted to the Education Minister on July 22, after which he referred it to the Ghana Education Service (GES) with instructions to prepare for implementation.
The NPP also cited a September 3 training programme organised by NaCCA with support from the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast, where teachers were trained on the new Chinese language curriculum.
The party argues that these steps suggest the policy had received government backing.
“When the Minister responsible for education publicly attributes a policy direction to the President and advances it through the institutions under his authority, the reasonable conclusion is that he is acting with the authority of Government,” the statement said.
The NPP therefore wants the President to clarify who authorised the policy.
“If the Minister announced and pursued this policy without presidential and Cabinet approval, the President must sack him. If, however, the Minister acted with the authority or knowledge of the President or Cabinet, then the President must apologise to the Ghanaian people for denying a policy his Government had already set in motion,” it said.
The party has also questioned government expenditure on the process, asking why public funds were used to develop curricula, engage technical personnel and train teachers if there was no approved policy.
It further raised concerns about teacher shortages, particularly the President’s stated reservations about the availability of Chinese language teachers while Ghana continues to face gaps in French language instruction.
The NPP said Arabic and Chinese should not be treated as the same policy issue, arguing that Arabic was already available as an optional subject at the junior high school level before the current administration took office.
Chinese, it said, formed part of a new process in 2026 involving curriculum development, ministerial review, implementation preparations and teacher training.
The party said the dispute goes beyond the two languages and raises questions about coordination, ministerial authority and accountability within government.
It maintained that parents, teachers, school administrators and taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of what policy was approved, who authorised it and what public funds have been committed to the process.
Below is the full statement
