The President of the Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers (GNAT), Angel Carbonu has outlined pressing issues in the country’s education sector that require immediate attention from Education Minister-designate, Haruna Iddrisu.
This follows the nomination of the Member of Parliament for Tamale South as the Minister-designate for Education by President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking in an interview on Eyewitness News on Thursday, January 16, 2025, Mr. Carbonu emphasised the need for urgent stakeholder engagement and policy clarity, particularly regarding the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.
He stated that addressing these issues should be the top priority for the nominee if confirmed.
According to Mr. Carbonu, GNAT is prepared to contribute to stakeholder consultations to ensure the policy is implemented effectively.
“The immediate priority is the Free SHS program, which has been a topical issue in the news. It is something the new government promised to address through stakeholder engagement to achieve a national consensus on the way forward. We are looking forward to that consultation forum so we can make our contributions and add our quota to the discussion. That should be immediate,” he stated.
Mr. Carbonu also highlighted systemic challenges that continue to plague Ghana’s education sector.
“The general challenge about education, we all know is the issue of infrastructure, compensation and the lack of satisfaction with the players in the sector. By this I mean teachers as well as the dwindling standard in basic education as a result of neglect. These are all challenges that have been there over the years. I hope and pray that the minister-designate will be able to address some of these issues,” he added.
